Too Beautiful
by LalaEveryDay
Summary: Three years after their break-up, Loren and Eddie are reunited at Nora's funeral. But there's something different about Loren. Smoking. Drinking. And the bruises? He almost doesn't notice them. Almost. Rated T. Based off the song by He is We, cover by Shelby Townsend.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! Okay, so I am officially re-writing this, because it. Was. TERRIBLE. Please enjoy(:**

**Summary: Three years after their break-up, Loren and Eddie are reunited at Nora's funeral. But there's something different about Loren. Smoking. Drinking. And the bruises? He almost doesn't notice them. Almost. Rated T. Based off the song by He is We.**

_Chapter One: What kind of man lays his hands on the woman he loves?_

Loren was always curious about birds. How they could fly away with little thought and little reason. Loren wished she could fly away. But she wasn't a bird. She was just another girl trapped in the mess of life. Loren lifted up her wine glass, which was filled to the brim with the burgundy liquid, and took a long swallow. Today was not a day she was looking forward to. No, today was the day she had to face her mothers funeral.

Loren finished off her glass of wine, disappointed when she reached the bottom of the glass. Now it was time to put on make-up. A task she hated. She walked the short distance to the small, grey bathroom and pulled out her make-up bag. She then shifted her eyes to the cracked mirror, and scowled at the growing black eye and bruised cheek. Her hand dug into the bag and pulled out the supplies: concealer, powder, cover up. She dotted the concealer around the blue marks on her face, crinkling her nose at the smell. However, she continued with her procedure until the bruises were nearly invisible.

When she was finished, she simply curled her hair and slipped into her simple, long-sleeved black dress. Before she left the house, she took one, long look in the mirror. The bruises on her face were still there, but so faint you'd have to study her hard to be able to notice. Loren gripped the white sink as she took a deep breath. She gave herself another moment before bracing herself and walking out the door.

* * *

Loren slowly emerged the grassy turf of the cemetary, noticing people crowding in one particular place. She figured that this was where people were at. Taking another deep breath, she continued walking and didn't stop until she reached the swarm of black.

"Loren," She heard someone say. She spun around to see her old best friend, Melissa, dressed in a black strapless dress with ballet flats. Her cheeks lined with tears.

"Hey, Mel," She said, her voice hoarse. Melissa wrapped her arms around her former best friend before she could protest. Loren winced a bit when Mel accidentally touched a bruise, but hugged her back anyways. It hurt a bit to see Mel, though. It reminded her of what she could've been, and how she almost made it.

"You okay?" Melissa asked her, pulling away from the hug. Loren nodded lightly, although it was a lie. There was nothing okay about her life, especially when she was about to see her mother buried.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Lo," Melissa whispered. Loren shrugged and looked over her shoulder. She didn't feel like talking much.

"We should probably get going. The service is going to begin soon," Melissa told Loren, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the mass swarm.

* * *

"Eddie, go say hi to her!" Max encouraged his son after the funeral. Eddie sighed and hesitated.

"She just lost her only parent. Go. Say. Hello. You used to care a lot about this girl, and she's clearly hurting."

"And what makes you think she'll feel better seeing me?" Eddie retorted. "We had a pretty messy break-up. How do you know she's not still mad?"

Max rolled his eyes and nudged his son. "She has a boyfriend, you know. Nora told me she's happy with him, just like you are with Hollyn. Now, go say hi."

Eddie knew it would be nice to see Loren, maybe give a few words of comfort. But she still broke his heart years ago. Seeing her would still hurt.

"Alright," Eddie gave in. Max nodded, and pointed towards the exit of the cemetary.

"Last I saw her, she slipped out and went over there," Max told him. Eddie nodded again and started walking towards the exit, two big metal gates. The cold breeze made him shiver, but he continued walking until he reached a brick ally. The only person there was some lady with a cigarette. Eddie sighed, deciding to give up and go back to the cemetary. It wouldn't be any warmer, but at least it wouldn't be as shady as this part of town.

"Eddie?" A small voice said. Eddie looked up, but didn't see anyone but that same lady.

"Hello?" He called out. When no one replied, he decided to approach that woman. And he didn't believe his eyes.

It was Loren, in the flesh and blood.

_Smoking._

Eddie didn't know why this surprised him so much. She was a free person, and it'd been three years. People can change. But he never tagged Loren as one to smoke anything other than candy cigarettes. Loren quickly stomped it out when she noticed him staring.

"Um, hi," She replied. Eddie stared at her a little longer, before finally regaining the ability to talk.

"Hey." The area was silent for a moment, making Loren avert her eyes to make the situation less awkward.

"So, um, I'm sorry for your loss," He finally told her.

"Me, too. It still kind of surprises me, actually," She murmured.

"Like I said, I'm really sorry. It must be hard for you." She just shrugs and slid down the wall, sitting down and wrapping her arms around her legs.

"I guess. But she's in a better place now," She whispered. He took a step forward, hesitating before taking a seat next to her. He was starting to remember why he had had such strong feelings for this girl. For one, she was beautiful. But mostly, it was because of her willpower and her strength to keep going.

"So, how've you been?" He asked awkwardly, trying to change the subject to make her feel better. Again, she shrugged. "I don't know, honestly. I have a boyfriend now, named Rory," She said, immediately biting her lip. She didn't mean to tell him about Rory. Because then he might ask questions. But it slipped from her mouth without even a thought.

"I have a girlfriend now, too," Eddie said as he blushed a little. She laughed.

"I know. Hollyn Gutter. Honestly, do you think I've been living under a rock?" Eddie blushed again.

"Well, I didn't know you read gossip magazines."

"I don't, but that doesn't mean I can forever avoid the tabloids going into other people's lives," She told him, meeting his eyes for the first time in three years. It gave her comfort, but it also gave her pain from remembering the break-up.

"I guess not." She smiled lightly, looking up at the sky. "I suppose I should go. People are going to wonder where I went," She told him. She stood up for a moment, bending over to fix her dress and not even noticing her hair falling to the side.

That's when he saw the bruise.

And the awful part about it was, it was in the shape of a hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favourites!(: You rock! Also, this chapter might be a little violent, so please remember that this is rated T for a reason(:**

_Chapter Two- Calls her "Angel", but shows no remorse_

"Hey, Loren," Loren heard Rory call after her once she returned from the funeral. She grimaced a bit. It had been a long day, what with her mothers funeral and Eddie and all. All I need to do is not make him mad, she thought to herself.

"Hey, Rory," She replied, putting on a fake sunny smile. It was something she'd become good at.

"How was the funeral, angel?" He asked, walking over to her to greet her. He kissed her, and she wondered how someone who was so nice to her at times could be so cruel to her at others.

"Awful," She whispered, pulling away and sitting at the dirty kitchen counter. She wanted to clean it, but whenever she did, Rory complained about not being able to find anything.

And then that lead to a fight.

"Well, good. It would be kind of bad to have a good funeral." He laughed obnoxiously at his own joke. Loren scoweled, but didn't say anything. She just stared out the window, watching the world spin around and zoning out. She wondered where she would've been if she had accomplished everything she planned and hadn't chickened out. She might've still been with Eddie. And there she goes again, wondering if Eddie would ever hit her. Even if he didn't, she still likes it better with Rory, right? Right. _I love Rory_, she tells herself. She could faintly hear Rory rambling about something stupid, but was so far out she couldn't make out what he was saying.

"Loren, look at me!" Rory yelled, fiercely grabbing her chin and turning her head to look at him, before raising his free hand and smashing it across her face. Loren let out a small wimper, cluching her hand to her cheek where he'd hit. He yanks her off the chair by grabbing the front of her shirt and pins her up against a wall roughly.

"Listen to me," He hissed, his face inces away and smelling badly of liquor. "When I talk, you pay attention. You're lucky to have a guy like me, being as awful and hideous as you are. You don't wanna loose me, do you?" She shook her head rapidly, and he released her.

"Good," He said, sitting on the couch. "Grab me a beer." She did as told, before going in the shower and finally going to sleep.

* * *

Eddie couldn't stop thinking about the bruise.

It sort of haunted him, you could say. He could tell it was from a person, but he didn't know who or why anyone would like to hurt Loren. She was so sweet and gorgeous and polite and funny...

_Stop it_, Eddie thought. _You're with Hollyn._

Speaking of the beautiful Brit, Hollyn AnneMarie Gutter walked through Eddie's front door. Her black curls stopped at her elbow normally, but today it was French braided on both sides, framing her perfect face and bright green eyes.

"Hey, Eddie," She said softly, sitting next to him. The sight of her relaxed him a little bit, but not completely. There was still the nagging thought in the back of his mind that someone had hurt Loren.

His Loren.

Well, used to be, anyways.

"Hi," He replied. She took a seat next to him, and smiled sadly.

"How was the funeral?" She asked gently. He shrugged.

"A funeral, I guess," He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "It was hard. She was the closest thing I had to a mother."

"I know, baby. I'm sorry." Hollyn's green eyes were sincere and a bit sad. "It must've been especially hard for your dad." Eddie looked at his feet. He had hardly thought about his dad. It must've been really hard for him, too, especially since him and Nora had gotten really serious.

"I guess. Loren was there," He said blantly, with almost no emotion.

"Oh, God. I didn't even think about that. It was her mom, right?" Eddie nodded and rolled his head back to look at the ceiling.

"Yeah. Yeah, it was."

"Poor girl. I mean, I know she hurt you, but still. Being an orphan? I'd never wish that on anyone."

"You and me both," He agreed.

"But you both moved on. She's got her boyfriend, and you've got me." Hollyn gently rubbed his arm. Loren had a boyfriend...

...maybe he had given her the bruise.

"You know what, I forgot. Um, I promised Larry I'd go out for beers tonight. Gotta run. Bye, Holly," He kissed his girlfriend on the head and rushed out the door before going on his phone and looking up a phonebook, finally finding Loren and some guy named Rory's address.

And with that, he got in his car and drove.

* * *

"Loren!" Rory called, waking Loren from her slumber. Groggily, she got up from her spot in bed and walked into the living room where Rory was

"Mmm?" She mumbled. Her eyes were still adjusting to the light when she felt something slam into her gut. It instantly knocked the breath out of her, sending her to stumble and run into a wall before falling to the ground. When she finally caught her breath, she screamed out in pain.

"Does that hurt, little bitch?" Rory screamed. "Huh?" Loren nodded, before feeling something hard hit her leg full-force.

"Stop!" She screamed, moving her hands from her gut to her leg. "Please stop!" She heard Rory's sick laugh, the one he got whenever he was completely wasted, as he sent his foot flying into her gut for the second time. Again, Loren cried out in pain. She felt like every single cell inside her body was on fire and could feel bile rising in her throat.

"I need to go to the store and get more beer. You stay here and be a good little girl, got it?" He whispered in her ear.

"Yes." She was unable to bring her voice above a whisper. He slammed his fist into her left cheek before stumbling out the door and slamming it behind him. Loren sat there, feeling intense heat on the areas where he'd struck. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at the wall. Her breathing wavered as a sob started rising in her throat. Never in her life has she wanted to die as much as she did now. Normally, when Rory went out to get 'beer', he goes and meets a hooker or an old pal and is gone for days, meaning that Loren would be free until he returned.

Loren attempted standing up, but as soon as she did, she got dizzy and felt an excrusiating pain in her leg.

So when someone knocked on the door, she just simply yelled 'it's open'. Whoever it was, she could just tell them she fell. She heard the door open and close, as Eddie came into view.

It goes without saying she was surprised. Yet, oddly enough, relieved. She was so grateful that someone so kind and understanding had found her, instead of a soliciter or something.

"Oh, my god..." He whispered upon seeing her. She smiled weakly.

"I fell," She said gently.

That's when Eddie knew that someone was hurting Loren. Sweet, innocent Loren, who, although she could be firey, would never hurt anyone.

And he knew he'd do anything to stop it

**Please review! Feed this author!(:**


	3. Chapter 3

**Replieses!**

**Random-Rebecca: Aw, thanks! Glad you like it(: And I am most definitely continuing it(:**

**hhaddicted: I know, I have a knack for writing depressing things xD It's a skill, actually. Thank you for saying it's good, though(:**

**Random-Rebecca: Thankshya(:**

**LeddieLover: Nowww(:**

**Mel4113: Thanks(: I really tried to make this different than anything I've read, and it's good to know I succeded(: And trust me, I do ;) I am the biggest Leddie fan possibly ever. There will be some DEFINITE Leddie love xD**

**I-love-hollywood-heights-1234: Thank you so much! I actually started crying when I read this review, because it made me happy haha. Then again, I did have more emotions than Emoji last night... but haha thank you(:**

**I-love-hollywood-heights-1234: It's no bother(:You can ask me anything you'd like(: And the answer to your question: All will be revealed bit by bit...all in good time(;**

**Alas, onward with the chapter! Note: I can't update until Monday or Tuesday, because I be going to mi abuela's casa(:I am soooo pissed right now I just need to type it cuz I feel like I wanna cry and agghhh!**

_Chapter Three- He covers her body with bruises and scars_

Loren looked in the mirror, gasping a little when she saw the bruise. It was almost the size of a baseball, and it was already turning blue. On top of that, she still had the black eye and bruise under her jaw, so it goes without saying it would be tricky to cover up.

She was kind of afraid to see her stomach, but she felt she'd needed to after he'd sent not one, but two large blows there. Ever so gently, she lifted the hem of her shirt and looked at the imprints. One was already a dark shade of purple, while the other was blue in the shape of an oval. She sighed and let go of her shirt. Eddie was still in the living room, and he'd be worried if she took much longer. She unlocked the door and half-walked, half-limped(her knee was killing her) into the living room, where Eddie awkwardly stood.

"I'm really okay, you can go home. I just have to bewere of the couch next time." She laughed nervously. When she realized he didn't buy it, she looked at her feet.

"Loren," He whispered. "How long has this been going on?" She shrugged.

"About a year and a half," She said. She gently took a seat on the couch, careful not to move her stomach to much.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Again, she shrugged.

"I love him," She murmured. "But sometimes... his temper gets the best of him and..." Her voice trailed off as she wiped a fresh tear from her face. "He always makes it up to me when he comes back, and I can't bring myself to leave him."

"Look what he does to you, though," Eddie said. He walked over to her and gently lifted her chin to look at him. Rory had done this many times, but never so gentle. Eddie was treating her as if she was made of glass. Carefully, he ran the pads of his fingertips along the awful bruise.

"I can't leave him, though," She whispered. "I just can't." Eddie takes a seat next to her and sighs.

"I know it's hard for you to think of. But can you imagine not having to hide the bruises anymore?" Loren shook her head.

"I don't want to imagine things without him. I really really love him." Eddie gently rubbed her back, careful not to touch a possible bruise.

After a few moments, he finally gets the gut to ask. "Can you...can you show me your bruises?" Loren hesitates. Never has she ever shown anyone her bruises or scars. But then she thought about how good it would feel to finally let someone in after all this time. So, she stood up and held out her arm, lifting the sleeve to reveal about five bruises and scars. She did the same with the other, showing about the same amount.

"This is what he did tonight," She mumbled, lifting the hem of her shirt to the bottom of her ribcage. The blue one was also purple now, matching the other. Another small one dotted her ribcage, but she didn't bother with it. The most painful was a scar, though. It reminded her of that one, awful day when her whole world changed.

And it wasn't even from Rory.

Finally, she lifted her pant legs showing him a ton of bruises ranging from half an inch to three inches(the newest one was the largest). When she was finished, she just looked at him.

"Wow," He managed. Her answer was a nod as she sat back down.

"It hurts so bad," She said, squeezing her eyes shut. Eddie looked at the poor girl next to him, and wished there was some way he could help her. But there really wasn't.

"I know." He ever-so-gently pulled her into his lap and kissed the top of her head by force of habit, immeadiately regretting it. He knew he was with Hollyn, but something about Loren gave him butterflies, even though she was so fragile. Luckily, though, she didn't seem to notice. She just leaned her head back and for the first time in forever truely relaxed.

**Hope you liked the Leddie;) Review por favor! Sorry for the short-ness!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Holy crap!**

**16 flippin reviews over the weekend?!**

**Wow, you guys rock!**

**This chapter is so long lol hopefully it'll make up for the shortness of the last one xD**

_Chapter 4- You don't understand just how beautiful you are_

*3 weeks later*

"Eddie! You're phone is ringing!" Hollyn called out to her boyfriend who was in the kitchen. Hollyn always hated his ringtone. It was a series of annoying high-pitched beeps, repeated over and over and over. This caused her to find a need to tell Eddie immeadiately as soon as it started going off.

"Could you get it?" He yelled back.

"Gladly," Hollyn muttered under her breath. She picked up the Smartphone to see who was calling.

Loren Tate.

Her eyes filled with curiosity as she answered the phone.

"Hello?" She said. She was actually almost excited to hear the voice of the girl who broke her boyfriends heart three years ago.

"Who is this?" A gruff mans voice demanded. Hollyn would've admited in a heartbeat that the man's voice scared and surprised her, but she just brushed it off.

"I'd like to ask the same to you," She challenged.

"This is Rory, Loren's boyfriend. I'd like to know why she has your name in her phone." _I'd like to know that too_, Hollyn thought.

"Um, I dunno. Sorry."

"You're voice sounds familiar," He stated. Hollyn swallowed as the curiousity turned to worry. Of course, he'd reconize her voice. She'd done so many movies and voice-overs, she would've been a litt

"Um, nope. I gotta go. Don't call back." Hollyn clicked end on Eddie's phone and stared at it. Now she definitely knew there was something going on with Eddie.

"Hey, Eddie?" She asked. He walked into the living room, taking a seat next to her.

"Yeah?"

"Why did Loren Tate just call you, and why is she a guy?" Eddie stared at her as if she'd just dropped out of space.

"W-what?"

"The caller ID was Loren's, but the person who called was named Rory and was demanding to know why his girlfriend had your name in her phone." Eddie's heart skipped a beat. To think that that man had the guts to call him... "Whatever, I don't need to know. But I do want to meet her."

"Meet who?"

"Charlie the unicorn. Loren, of course," Hollyn replied sarcasticly. Eddie shook his head.

"I don't know. I mean, she's always busy with work and stuff..."

"So you do admit you've seen her since the funeral?" Hollyn asked. Eddie nodded.

"Not much, but yes. She's...hit a rough patch, you could say. I felt awful, especially since I lost my mom as well around her age," He told her. Hollyn gave a sad smile. It was so hard to stay mad at him, especially since he had such a good heart.

"Can you try? You could go to her house and invite her to go to dinner with us tonight," Hollyn suggested. Eddie concidered it. He could drive by casually and see if Rory's car was there. And if it wasn't, he could go inside and ask. Besides, he hadn't seen Loren in six days. It'd be good to see her again.

"Okay, I'll go now," Eddie agreed. Hollyn smiled and kissed her boyfriend, before he got up and drove to Loren's house.

* * *

Loren stared at the empty fridge and sighed. She hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, so of course she was starving. But Rory always took the only car to work, and her job was a waitress at a resturaunt she could walk to, so normally, it wasn't a problem. Except for times like this where she desprately needed to go to go someplace. Finally giving up, she took a seat on the ratty old couch, only to have to get up because of the ringing doorbell. She groaned, before slipping up her hood to hide the fresh bruise on her jaw and hairline and opening the door.

"Hey, Loren," Eddie said. Loren looked up and smiled at her friend.

"Hey. Come in," She replied, side-stepping so he could walk inside her house. She still didn't slip her hood off, though.

"Um, I just wanted to know if you could come to dinner with Hollyn and I," He asked. Loren smiled.

"I'd love to. Rory's staying at his friends house, so I could use a little company." He returned the smile.

"Great. Um, we'll pick you up at eight then?" Loren nodded, still smiling. She was excited to meet Hollyn. She'd loved her movies, and thought she was extremely talented.

"Sound's good."

"Right. Well, uh, b-" He started, but stopped and stared at Loren's face. He just noticed the bruise on her hairline, then quickly spotted the one on her jaw. "No," He whispered, gently pushing the hood off her head. Loren scoweled at her feet.

"Dammit," She muttered. She thought she'd get through the meeting without him noticing. It almost seemed as if seeing her bruises hurt him more that it hurt her. Rory'd gotten mad at Loren after going through her phone and finding a contact he didn't reconize. It was her own dumb fault for putting it in there anyways, though.

"Loren-"

"It's really not a big deal," She cut him off. "It doesn't even hurt. Really, I'm okay. I'll see you at dinner, okay?" Eddie stared at her. This was the first time in weeks he'd done anything like this. And there was nothing more he hated.

"It is a big deal, though. What don't you understand? He. Is. Hurting. You." Loren rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't hurt. The worst part is having to cover it up. Honestly, I'm okay." It was all a lie, though. It did hurt, a lot, mentally and physically. But she kept telling herself it didn't, and hoped it would go away. Eddie sighed.

"You should go home and see Hollyn. She's probably getting worried." Eddie met her eyes before walking out the door and not saying another word. It was still hard for him to grasp the concept that someone was hurting her on purpose. But he knew how her mind worked. She wouldn't have let him help even if he had gotten on his knees and begged. So, it seemed as if the best he could do was give her a little space and some time to get ready for dinner.

* * *

Loren felt like a slut.

She was dressed fine, with a snowy white turtle neck sweater and a pair of jeans with a regular pair of black Converse. But she had had to pile on the make-up to cover up the bruises. She'd had to repeat her regular routine twice, plus put on extra regular make-up so you couldn't tell where it was spotty.

She looked in the mirror up until eight o'clock, when Eddie and Hollyn walked up to her door and rang the doorbell. Loren sighed. _Looking like a slut is better than showing my bruises,_ she thought.

With that, she walked out of the bathroom and put on her best fake smile and opening the door.

"Hi, you must be Loren!" Hollyn gushed as soon as she saw Loren's face. Hollyn was in a simple sundress, cut to her knees with speghetti straps holding it up. It was a solid shade of pink, all except for the black ribbon wrapped around her waist. Loren smiled.

"Yeah, that's me!" She replied enthusiastically. Part of her was slightly jealous of Hollyn. She was so much prettier than Loren would ever be, what with her high cheekbones and stunning eyes.

"Pleasure to meet you." Hollyn stuck out her hand, and Loren gladly shook it, before they both walked to the car and drove to the resturaunt.

* * *

Loren looked in the bathroom mirror, wiping the tears from her face. She was still at the resturaunt, but had to excuse herself because she was going to break down. She didn't know what came over her, but she just suddenly felt the need to cry. So she did just that. She huddled over the counter top, getting ready to re-apply the make-up. The dark blue on her jaw was begining to show, despite the collar of her shirt and the twenty layers of make-up that'd been there previously.

"Loren?" She heard a soft, English-accented voice call out. Hastily, she stuffed the make-up in her bag and pulled up her shirt to cover up most of the still-showing bruise.

"Yeah?" She replied. Hollyn gave her that same look she'd been giving her all night. Loren couldn't quite place it, but it was definitely unusual.

"Are you okay? You ran off rather quickly..." Hollyn asked.

"Oh, I'm fine." Loren gave a promising smile. Hollyn raised an eyebrow.

"Loren," Hollyn started. "I know there's something going on. I have not the slightest idea what it is, but there's something." Loren shook her head and tugged her collar up a bit.

"I'm really okay. Here, let's go back. I think our food's ready," Loren said quickly, trying to change the subject. Hollyn reluctantly nodded before following Loren back to the table.

* * *

Eddie worridly looked at Loren after they dropped Hollyn off at her house. They were now sitting in Eddie's apartment, which brought back painful memories for Loren. She hadn't been here since that night when she finally realized that Eddie no longer cared.

The most painful night of her life.

"She know's somethings up, Eddie," Loren told him. "I think she saw my bruise." Eddie shook his head.

"I don't think so. I couldn't see it throughout the whole dinner." Loren grimaced, placing a hand tenderly on the bruise and wincing slightly, as it still hurt. The one on her head was still invisable, though.

"Whatever," She muttered. She had felt so out of place the whole dinner. She knew she didn't belong there. She belonged in the ratty old diner she worked at, not with two gorgeous super-stars at a five-freaking-star resturaunt. Plus the amount of make-up she'd put on made it look like she was trying too hard to fit in. She wished she could've been pretty enough to belong there.

"What's wrong?" Eddie asked upon seeing her expression.

"Nothing."

"Loren, I know you too well to believe that. Tell me." Loren sighed and fixed her eyes on the back of her hand.

"I felt so out of place there. Every single person there knew I didn't belong. I mean, everyone there was beautiful, but me." Loren had never felt so disgusted with herself and wished she was someone else.

"You don't understand, do you?" Eddie asked. Loren looked up at him.

"Understand what?"

"How gorgeous you actually are." And with that, he brushed his lips upon Loren's for the first time in so many years.

Too many years.

**Love me now(; Reviewsles!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me oh so sleepy...but I feel like I owe you guys for me thrity reviews in two days! Oh my godddd! I can't believe how amazingly amazeballs you guys are! So, I get a lot of questions asking about how they broke up. And all will be revealed...NOW! Hehe. Also, I caught one review saying that Eddie wouldn't let anyone EVER hurt Loren. I agree with you completely, but he's kind of stuck right now. If he randomly finds Rory and pummels him, Rory'll know something is up and something not-so-good might happen to Loren. Also, if he calls the cops, Loren would be really upset because you are forgetting that she is in love with this guy/monster. Trust me, I love it when Eddie gets protective of Loren, but he's in a place right now where the best he can do is help her when it happens. One last thing: Would you like me to change the format from third-person to first-person? Because I am more comfortable writing first, since it's my usual style, but if you like this, then that works as well(:**

**I'd like to give a dedication to: My amazing friend who has stuck with me through the beginning. Stay strong and never give up, girl. We love you, hun(:**

_Chapter Five- You are too beautiful, your heart, it wants something more_

Eddie kissed her. And Loren kissed him back. It took hours to wrap her mind around it, but now she had. It wasn't an intense kiss, but just a light one. He had been so much gentler than Rory ever was, but her mind kept going back to the break-up. She was laying alone in her house, with Rory gone and not a soul in sight. So, she thought, just this once, she'd let herself remember the whole night after so many years of blocking it out. Because now, she'd be alone for no one to see.

_*Flashback*_

Loren stared flustered at the ring her boyfriend had just showed her.

He had just proposed.

Every single instinct told Loren to say yes. Almost, that is. Loren still had a sensible mind, though. Reality hit her like a rock. She was only nineteen, they had only been dating a year and a half, and her career was taking off. She couldn't have a _h__usband_. It made her a little nausious at the thought. Especially when she thought about her mom. How she had gotten married at nineteen, and Trent ended up walking out on the both of them.

With little thought on the topic, Loren answered, "No."

Eddie paled a bit, taking her no the wrong way. Quickly, Loren tried to defend herself, saying all of the reasons she'd thought out in her mind. But it wasn't enough to convince him that she still loved him. It was then she started getting angry. Why couldn't he understand that Loren wasn't ready?

"I'm sorry," Loren defended, "But I can't get married this young. You seem to be forgetting that I'm still a teenager!"

"Has that ever been a problem with us before?"

"Yes! Yes it has, Eddie! Why can't you just understand that we are and always will be four years apart? And why do we need to get _married_? I love you, Eddie, but it can't solve all our problems!"

"I never thought that!"

"You sure did with Chloe! You thought that tying her to you would solve everything, but it didn't! It didn't solve anything! And Chloe and I may be complete oppisites, but our relationships have that same thing in common." Eddie stared at her, speachless. Chloe had always been a touchy topic for the both of them, due to Eddie's rocky history with her. Deep inside, he was still hurting from it, and Loren knew it. So bringing Chloe up like that had been a low blow, and she knew it.

"Why must you bring Chloe up in everything?" Eddie yelled, begining to get angrier by the second.

"I never have until today!"

"Oh, please! Every time it's Chloe this and Chole that. I am done with her, and I have been for the past two years!"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm done talking about this."

"I'm not! I am so sick of everything being about my past relationships and how things used to be with me and girls I haven't seen in years. I think you're just scared because serious things never work in your family!" Loren stared at her boyfriend, half hurt and half livid with what he'd just said.

"At least I don't result to marrige as soon as something gets rocky!" Loren spat, before gathering up her jacket and walking out the door.

Not once did Eddie protest.

She was so upset and angry. She was blinded by the sudden tears in her eyes. She stalked into her car and drove home almost as fast as she could, needing to talk to her mom or Melissa or someone.

She didn't even notice the car barreling towards her until it slammed into the drivers side of her car.

Everyone had told her it was a miricle she survived with mainly minor injuries. The worst had been a large gash across her stomach, something that would remain a scar on her body ever. Everyone showed up to the hospital. Her second grade teacher, the girl who babysat her when she was little, even her dad. Everyone, except for the one person she needed. Eddie. It was then she realized that he no longer cared, and never would. She knew that the best thing that had ever happened to her was gone, and it was her own dumb fault.

_*End of Flashback*_

Loren ran her fingertips over the long white scar on her stomach, not bothering to wipe the flowing tears from her face. Why he all of a sudden cared about her now was beyond Loren's knowlage. All she knew, though, was that if he stopped caring about her then, there was no way he cared about her now. It hurt, really. She could almost feel the cold metal digging into her stomach again and the loud crash that the car made on impact with the other. But she vowed to remain strong, and hold on to what little hope she had that someone, somewhere, cared about her. She denied whenever someone told her that she and Rory weren't right for eachother. But deep inside, she knew it was true. But she could never shake the constant feeling of ugly she always felt. She kept repeating Eddie's words from earlier in her mind.

"Just how gorgeous you actually are."

That was her last thought before she gently closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**Hopefully the break-up lived up to your expectations! Review, favourite, and follow por favor(:**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hola mi amigos y amigas! Tengo hambre! Haha just kidding I'm not hungry :P Thank you all for the lovely reviews! You rockadoodle guys(: And thank you for saying that you liked the break-up! I know it seemed very out of character for Eddie to do something like that...but maybe there's a twist :O My lips be sealed though! Also, some of you may have noticed that I changed the artist of the song from Shelby Townsend to He is We. Well, He is We is my ABSOLUTE favourite band, and I originally heard the song on YouTube by them. So I looked it up on iTunes, and the only version of the song was by Shelby Townsend, so I thought He is We did the cover and Shelby Townsend wrote the original. Turns out I be wrong xD Sorry for the confusion!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plotline and Rory and Hollyn...so please don't take them!**

**Dedication: To Mel4133, xXJustAWriterXx, and leddieforever, Luv2luvyou, Random-Rebecca, Jenel t, applez4realz, JENN, and Guest(didn't put a name so I couldn't make it out personally. Sawwy): ) for reviewing my last chapter! Means so much guys! And if you left a review and I didn't say your name, I'm sorry. I'm still trying to figure out my new e-mail LOL xD**

_Chapter 6- Those shades of blue on that face you always hide_

Hollyn had never been so worried in her life. It seemed as if her boyfriend had literally dropped off the face of the Earth. Not once had he called, e-mailed, or even texted her since the dinner two weeks ago. She kept trying to keep the bad things out of her mind, but she always went back. What if he was kidnapped? Nah, she would've heard about it by now. What if he was in a car crash? Nope, press would've eaten that up by now. The only thing she could think of was he was cheating.

With _Loren_.

Ever since Hollyn had seen what she assumed to be a hickey on her jaw that she continuously tried to cover up with her turtle-neck, she'd been concerned about who gave it to her. She tried and tried again to believe it was Loren's boyfriend, not hers. She wanted desprately to trust Eddie, but she couldn't. And it broke Hollyn's heart how he would go and hurt her like that. She made a mental note to go to the bar before taking a nap and trying to forget him.

* * *

Loren has said it many times, but she feels as if it needed to be said again.

"I. Hate. Make-up," Loren groaned into the mirror. Granted, her face right now in public would scare so many people it was downright laughable, but she almost wished she could go out and not get her ass kicked by Rory. The constant pasty feeling the make-up gave her made her want to rub it all off and send it straight back to hell, but she didn't. She applied it and re-applied until the blue was now just a big tan mask. Normally, her Saturdays were empty, but today Eddie had called her and told her that there was somewhere he wanted to take her. After a while, she agreed, knowing Rory'd be out with his buddies at a bar. She wore a plain white t-shirt with a navy cardigan and a scarf, as well as a pair of grey jeans and her usual Converse. She didn't do much with her hair, though, leaving it with it's natral wave.

She was perfecting her make-up right until the doorbell rang at about ten a.m. She dropped the brush doo-dad thing and answered the door, to see Eddie.

Not once had the kiss came up since it happened. And honestly, Loren didn't know whether she was happy or disappointed.

"Hey. You ready?" Eddie asked. Loren gave a sunny smile and walked outside, shutting the door behind her.

"Yep," She replied. Eddie grinned as they got into his car.

"Good, but no looking." Loren groaned but closed her eyes up until the car finally stopped.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Loren asked. Eddie shook his head, but then realized Loren couldn't see so he just said "Nope". Eddie gently helped Loren out of the car and lead her into the large building, carefully placing his hands on her waist and guiding her in.

Loren would deny that it gave her butterflies, but that's a lie.

Occasionally, she'd hear her name being muttered by unreconizable voices and the 'beep' of an elevator, up until she heard the voice of a past friend call her name.

"Well, if it isn't Loren Tate!" Kelly enthusiastically exclaimed. Loren opened her eyes as Eddie removed his hands from her waist and absorbed what she was seeing. A very familiar room full of Eddie's records, her former manager Kelly, and Jake, Eddie's manager. Her smile grew even bigger.

"Hi, Kelly!" She replied, wrapping her arms around her.

"Nice to see you again, Loren," Jake greeted. Loren hugged him as well, before looking at Eddie.

"Thank you," She told him. Her smile was the biggest it had been in years. She was in a room with almost all of her past friends. A little hole in her heart appeared when she thought of Melissa, whom she had promised to call after the funeral but never did. Instantly, she felt awful. But at the same time, she was slowly getting the feeling that she was getting her old life back. Minus the pain, that is.

"It's great to see you! What have you been up to?" Kelly wanted to know, gesturing for Loren to take a seat. She did so, with Eddie following her.

"Not much, surprisingly. I have an amazing boyfriend named Rory, now, but that's really everything good I can think of." Loren gave a wary laugh and Eddie tensed next to her. How she could call Rory 'amazing' was beyond him. Amazing was the last thing he was.

"Tell me they're together now," Loren asked Eddie aloud, referring to Kelly and Jake. Eddie smirked and shook his head, while both Kelly and Jake turned bright red.

"Nope. Despite my prostests, they refuse to get together," Eddie teased. Loren's jaw dropped.

"What? C'mon, now. You two were always flirting!"

"They deny that, too." Loren shook her head with a smile.

And that's how the rest of the night went, chatting and catching up and embarrassing Kelly and Jake to their very souls. Loren had the best time she'd had since the break-up. In fact, she got so distracted, she didn't notice the time.

And that would cost her a lot.

* * *

"Thank you so much for taking me," Loren gushed as she waltzed into Eddie's appartment. He smiled at her.

"Any time," He replied. She took a seat on the black couch, still feeling the cakey-ness of the maked plastered on her face. She reached her hand up to try and rub a little bit of it away, but winced in pain as soon as her finger made contact.

"Loren, what's wrong?" Eddie asked. Loren smiled at him.

"Nothing. This has been the best day ever. Thank you so much," She told him. It was part lie, but it always was whenever she said she was okay. In fact, her face hurt so bad she wanted to cry and get the make-up off all at the same time. But she held herself together and remained grateful for what Eddie had given her today.

"You're welcome," Eddie said, hesitating before going on to say what he was about to. "I like seeing you happy." Loren blushed and looked at her feet before meeting his eyes.

"Well, it doesn't happen often, but I like being happy," Loren replied. Eddie debated something, before gently reaching out his hand and carefully brushing away the make-up, eventually revealing a bruise. He placed a delicate, quick kiss on it before meeting her eyes once more.

He knew then he was falling for Loren Tate all over again, quickly.

**Loved writing this chapter(: Stay tuned for the next one! And in the meantime, feed me with those delicious reviews! I be starvin'! LOL I hope mama doesn't eat Glitzy like she eats everything else!_(First person to guess what that's from gets a shout-out!)_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Bonjour! I am here to update! And we placed third at cheer competition! WE ROCKED THE HIZZLE! Also I got a second ear piercing(: So now to update! One last thing: I got the lyrics wrong. They are 'Those shade's of blue on that face of yours hides that smile that beats in your chest'. My mistake.(: Onward we shall ride, then!**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plotline and my original characters...so please don't kidnap them(:**_

_**Dedication: To everyone who reviewed(: Thank you so so much!**_

_**Shout out to xXJustAWriterXx for guessing the show(:**_

_Chapter 7- When he's done with her beating, he just stands aside, wipes the sweat from his brow and yells over her cries, "You don't know what I've been through!" He yells and he says, "You don't know what I've done for you!" And hits her again_

When Loren came to, she noticed several things.

One, Rory was laying next to her for the first time in weeks. Two, also for the first time in weeks, her body didn't have that constantly hovering ache she normally felt. She was, dare she say it, happy. Careful not to wake her still sleeping boyfriend, she crept out of the bed and into the kitchen, looking for breakfast materials. For some reason, she was in the mood to cook. It was something she'd done when she was younger, and it always made her happy.

"Hey, Loren," She heard Rory call. She smiled up at him, for he was about six inches taller than her, as he wrapped her in a hug. "What're you making?" Loren released herself from the hug and resumed cooking the pancakes she'd whipped up.

"Pancakes," She replied happily. Rory didn't say anything and just sat down on a chair.

"Pancakes, eh?" He muttered. Loren nodded and flipped one, as she added another to a plate, handing it to Rory as well as a fork. He gladly ate it, a smirk planted on his face.

"Loren, can you hand me a beer?" He asked, taking another bite. Loren grimaced. It couldn't have been passed 7:00 a.m., yet he already wanted to drink.

"Don't you think it's a little early?" She asked as sweetly as possible, turning around to face him, which she instantly regretted. He sent her a look which could only mean one thing: Rory was pissed. And when Rory got pissed, Loren would end up injured and Eddie would end up trying to kill Rory. But this time, Loren didn't know if her protests would work.

"Loren," He started through gritted teeth. "Grab. Me. A. Beer." Part of her told her to go and just grab the damn beer. But another part grew more dominent by the second. It was dangerous, and she knew it. But maybe Eddie had been right when he told her that Rory needed to stop hurting her. She knew how tiny and fragile she was compared to Rory, but maybe this once she could stand up to him and tell him 'no'.

Couldn't she?

"No," Loren whispered. She was clearly afraid, but she knew she couldn't let him know that. So, with a little more power, she said, "No."

"No?" Rory repeated, his voice so calm it scared her to her very soul.

"No! Dammit, Rory, I'm tired of this! I'm tired of you always drinking and drinking and drinking! It never freaking ends! You're always drunk! And I'm so sick of your little drunk habits! And if you want a beer, grab it yourself. You have to working legs, right? Why am I always the one to be your personal little servant?" She ranted. Rory was fuming. In a split-second, he was out of his chair and pusing Loren to the ground.

"How dare you?" He screamed. "How dare you talk to me like that, bitch?" He kicked the side of her thigh, hard. She winced but didn't cry out. She wanted to yell at him, oh so bad. But she didn't. Her attempt at being strong had made her weaker than ever. Rory roughly grabbed her by the elbow and threw her to the wall, causing Loren to crumble to the ground. He repeatedly pounded her cheek with his fist, making her cry out in pain. Her pride was to strong to let herself tell him to stop though.

"You know what they say," Rory told her, fisting her hair and yanking it so she was standing up and looking him in the eyes. "Drink until they're attractive." He slammed her head against the wall, making a loud thump noise. "But it never works for you!" He grabbed his plate he was eating pancakes from and through it at her, missing her face by no more than an inch. It shattered on impact, though, causing small shards of glass to fly at her.

Rory wiped his forehead and stared at Loren, who now had a big black bruise on her face as well as a few minor cuts from the glass. Her head ached horribly, and she knew she had a concussion for sure.

"Do you know what I've been though, huh? Do you? And do you know what I've given up for you!" He screamed at her, ignoring her cries of pain. He slammed a fist into her ribcage, as if she was a puncing bag. She lost her breath instantly, almost like a fish out of water. Helplessly, she spun around, trying to stop the blows from going into her ribcage, but he kept hitting her back, making her legs give out. She fell to the floor, tired and broken. Once she regained her breath, she stood up, despite the throbbing pain. Quickly, she grabbed the keys to the car.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rory asked/yelled. She didn't reply, but just kept walking towards the front door, despite the awful pain she felt in every area of her body.

"Where are you going?" He asked roughly, running to catch up with her. But it was to late; Loren had made it out of the house and was already driving away.

* * *

Everything hurt.

Litterally everything. Loren felt like she was going to break down and cry, but, like so many other times before, she held herself together. She stumbled into Eddie's appartment building, trying her best to ignore the stares she was getting. She hadn't put any make-up on before she left, meaning her fresh bruises were showing, plus she was still in boy-shorts and a tank-top which she'd slept in.

"Erm, miss Tate, what happened?" The doorman, Walter, asked her. Loren grimaced at the question, but nodded.

"I was in a car crash. Is Eddie here?" She replied. Walter nodded and sent her up.

* * *

The look on Eddie's face was the worst, in her opinian.

"I-I didn't know where else to go," She told him. He let her in and gently sat her on the couch.

"It was my own damn fault," She explained. "He wanted a beer. I should've just grabbed the beer."

"It's not your fault, Loren," He assured her, before walking into the kitchen and grabbing an icepack for the back of her head. There was already a serious bump forming, which was not good.

"Yes it is." She was sobbing now, harder than she had all day. "Everything is _my fault_." He rubbed her back, but she jumped away at the touch. Her back was especially sore now. Eddie stared at her, but didn't say a word. He just placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and layed her down across his lap.

"Nothing is your fault," He promised, gently brushing the hair off her forehead. Loren looked up at him.

"Why do you care?" She whispered. "Why do you care what happens to me?"

"Because your important, Loren. And I don't want anyone to hurt you, ever." Loren didn't understand his words, but was to tired to argue. She just closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep.

**Not my fave chapter, but whatevs(: Review please and crackers!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello(: Here I am to update! And I was watching Easy A last night, and GUESS WHAT?! THEY LIVE IN OJAI! MUAHAHAHA! Well, not much to say here, so I'll just get to the story(:**

_**Disclaimer: I own nada, but the story and my made-up characters, so please don't take them :D**_

_**Dedication: To Mel4113, for your amazing reviews that never fail to make me smile, and to LoveForeverxo, for making me go 'aww!' as I read your review(:**_

_**Shout-out goes to: delacruzalexa, for your amazingness(:**_

_Chapter 8- No Lyrics_

Hollyn knocked on her boyfriends door once again, then exhaled, annoyed, when there was no answer.

"Eddie, I know you're in there!" Hollyn yelled, pounding her fist on the door once again. She'd gone over to confront him about what she'd seen on Loren, and maybe, heaven forbid, call things off. But, of course, he wasn't home. In fact, he was probably out with Loren.

That bitch.

Angirly, Hollyn stormed down the hallway and out of the appartment complex to her car. She had to get a hold of Eddie, no matter what. She needed to find out what was going on with Loren.

* * *

Loren smiled at the familiar, but faded, sight infront of her. The mere look of it made the pain from earlier subside a little bit.

Especially when Eddie gingerly laced his fingers with hers.

The sight of things from up here was incredible. You could see everything-just like she'd remembered. It was the spot she'd always came to where she'd always come to think when she was younger.

"I remember this place," She whispered after at least fifteen minutes of silence. Eddie looked at her and smiled.

"This was our place, remember?"

"Our place," Loren whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to forget the pain from their relationship. It was the best thing that's ever happened to her, but now she's tangled in this mess she called love and feels as if her feet are super-glued to the ground, and both Eddie and Rory are pulling her in different directions. She almost couldn't tell who hurt her most, which was sad. And right now, the man whom she'd thought never gave a damn about her at one point, the man who was once the faceless imaginary boyfriend she'd imagined for so many years, was holding her hand. The man who hurt her and got angry with her so easily was at home, probably drinking away the memory of what had happened that morning. The good times Loren and Rory always used to have, the ones that toppled the hurt and made it go away, were becoming nearly nonexistant, to the point where Loren can't tell if it really happened or if it was all in her mind. Every day she was feeling more and more useless. More and more ugly. More and more pain. She can't help but think back to her mothers wise worlds before the boating accedent. The simple phrase echoes in her mind: _You are only what you want to be, Loren. Don't let anyone take advantage of that._ If only her mom was still here. Loren just wanted to hear her voice again, or hug her one last time. The feeling of hatred at her own house was to much for her to handle. She knew she had to leave Rory. She knew she couldn't stay with him anymore. But maybe he loved her, deep inside his cold heart. And she knew no one else would love her ever. Eddie had tried, but it all resulted in one thing: A mess.

"Loren, are you okay?" She heard Eddie ask, snapping her out of her trance. She looked up at him, feeling a peticularly cold breeze hit her face, letting her know that she'd begun crying. She didn't reply, though; she just nodded and resumed staring in front of her. Every now in then the pain from where Rory had struck would grow tremendously, but then subside into almost numbness.

"It's not the same," She whispered. It was true. The city had transformed in the past few years. It was still tall and gorgeous, but yet it felt empty what with all the changes it had obtained.

"What isn't?" Eddie replied, looking at her. Loren let go of his hand and folded her own in her lap, still staring at the city.

"The city. It's so...different."

"Everything is," Eddie mused. Loren looked at him.

"Everything has changed," Loren said.

"Are you okay?" Eddie repeated his question again. Loren's glare hardened.

"Do I look like I'm okay? Everything is _wrong_. You keep trying to help me relive the past so I feel more pain about what I said before, but it's gone, okay? I got what I deserve, so how much more do you have to punish me? Like not showing up to the hospital three years ago wasn't enough!" Loren snapped angirly. When she realized what she'd said, she immeadiately wished she hadn't. She'd known Eddie was just trying to help, but she was so confused about what was happening in her life. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that." Eddie didn't look angry, but merely confused.

"What do you mean, hospital?" He asked. Loren studied him, but saw no trace of joking around.

"That...that night?" Loren hinted. Hestantly, Eddie turned his glance to Loren and met her eyes.

"I don't remember anything from that night, Loren."

**Dundundunnnnn! Cliffy! I hope you like(: Reviewsles! Also, you may be happy to know that I have transformed my friend into liking Hollywood Heights. NOW I CAN FANGIRL ABOUT MY HATRED FOR CHLOE! YIPEEE! P.S. Sorry for the shortness xD**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello(: Wasn't going to update until tomorrow, but then the most awesome leddieforever reviewed my story saying that if I didn't update she would put rockets up herself and blast herself to Jupiter. Plus, she left one of the nicest reviews I've ever read, so it goes without saying that this is for her**

_**Disclaimer: Mi own nothing but el plot and el original characters, so please don't steal(:**_

_**Dedication: Leddieforever, for the reasons above, and I-love-hollywood-heights1234, for sticking with me from the beginning. Love you both(:**_

_**Shout-out: BittyAB18, for agreeing that Hollyn is a coool naaaame(:**_

_Chapter Nine- No lyrics_

Loren stared at Eddie. He looked almost alien to her, after telling her that he didn't remember a thing from the night of the break-up. All of a sudden, she was at a loss of words.

"What?" She managed, her voice sounding like more of a squeak. Eddie shook his head.

"I-I don't know. All I can remember is going to the beach and getting...well, drunk. Aside from the...break-up, that is," He told her. Loren stared at the city lights, and for the thousandth time she wished she could go back to the night.

"I was there for a few days," Eddie continued. Part of him wanted to hold her hand again and feel that familiar warmth again, but the more logical part decided against it. "Left my phone at my house. No one came up to see me like the last time I went up there. I just assumed... I just assumed that you didn't want me anymore. I-I did some things that I'm not proud of that week, but I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. It was like I was dying on the inside. And when I got home, I got straight to work. Didn't turn on the TV, nothing. But when I went out for the first time, due to me nearly starving to death, I met Hollyn. Of course, at first I didn't want anything to do with her. But then we kept running into each other and she helped me heal. I guess she was sort of a saving grace." Eddie looked at Loren, who looked utterly still and unfocused.

"She's good for you, Hollyn," Loren said with a slight twinge of jealousy. Eddie smiled at her, but then it fell.

"Yeah," Eddie replied half-heartedly.

"It was all a misunderstanding," She murmured to herself, hoping Eddie wouldn't hear. But she had torn herself up inside over this, millions of times, wondering why she had messed it up so bad that Eddie didn't show up when she could've freaking died. "I thought you didn't care," She said, more clearly this time. Eddie scooted closer to her, so that you couldn't have fit a piece of paper between them without crumpling it.

"Loren," He murmured in her ear. Loren didn't meet his eyes, though; she just stared at the night sky. "Loren, look at me." Loren did as told, facing him. There faces were only inches apart, and Loren could feel Eddie's hot breath on her skin.

"What?" She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. It was almost a sickening thought that all of this had been a misunderstanding, and that her toxic relationship with Rory had formed due to this. Eddie gently reached up his hand and wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"I will always care, Loren. How many times do I have to say?" He replied softly, before slowly closing the small amount of space between them by kissing her. This kiss wasn't like the one before, though. It was a little more desperate, like they were going to die tonight, yet still gentle. Loren found herself bringing herself closer to him, placing herself on his lap and wrapping her hands around his neck. After a minute or two, Loren pulled away, finally realizing what she was doing.

"What are we doing?" She asked him, her voice barely above a whisper. Eddie looked at her and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't know," He replied. Loren looked at him for a ligitament answer, but nothing came through.

"This is wrong. We both love other people, Eddie."

"Yeah, but-"

"Do you remember how you felt when you were cheated on?" She asked, carefully avoiding the certain name of a certain she-demon. Eddie's face changed from curious to shame. "Why would you do that to Hollyn?"

"I don't want to hurt her," He admitted, dropping his hand from Loren's cheek and staring at the ground. "But you're getting hurt to, Loren." Loren dropped her gaze as well, as she climbed off his lap and sat next to him. Neither of them said anything for a while, until Loren broke the silence.

"Maybe he'll stop," She whispered. "Maybe he'll stop with everything, and we can go back to how it used to be. I remember, when we first started dating, he took me to a carnival. He gave me all the stuffed animals he won, like a cleche chick flick, and held my hand on the Ferris Wheel. Then, at the very top, he kissed me for the first time. He was so romantic." Loren laughed at the memory. "I want the old him back. I know it's still in there. I know it."

"This is what kills me," Eddie told her. Loren looked up at him.

"What?"

"You see the good in people, Loren. You always forget Rory the Bad Guy who hits you and does awful things to you. You just hang on to Rory the Good Guy, which I don't think even exists. You are to good for him, Loren. You really are." For some reason, this rubbed Loren the wrong way.

"I may see the good in people," She said bitterly. "But that doesn't mean I forget the bad. I know what he does, but he's a good person beneath that."

"How? How can any decent man lay his hands on a woman? How can any good person hurt you, huh?" Eddie shook his head. Loren stood up abruptly, ignoring the screaming pain in her leg and head when she did so.

"What do you know about him, huh? You pretend you know how he thinks, when really, you've never even met him!" She yelled. Their sweet moment had turned into a heated argument, fast.

"I know that he is some sick bastard, that's what I know!" He yelled back. Loren glared at him.

"Bye, Eddie," She hissed, before spinning around and walking to her car, planning to drive home with her boyfriend who she was determined loved her.

**I loved writing this chapter! Eeeek, some Leddie in this one(: I bet a lot of you hate me now. But don't worry, the TeddyBear always has a plan. Review my mighty lovelies!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello, people of the internet. At the moment, I am mourning my deceased childhood. Alas, I have just watched the last iCarly and Twilight in one day. I am in a very down mood): iCarly was my childhood man! I grew up with that show, and now *SPOILER ALERT* Carly is on a jetplane to Italy with a newly started relationship with Freddy while I sit on my butt and write about depressing topics. Le sigh. And I received some PMs asking if I was ever going to write another story. I am actually working on four right now, believe it or not, and will post them later on once I get a more thought-out plot. On that note, here lies the latest chapter of Too Beautiful as well as my childhood.**

_**Disclaimer: Mi own nada but OC's and plot, so please don't take them):**_

_**Dedication: To iCarly for being my childhood):**_

_**Shout-out: To Unique, for your review that made me smile(:**_

_Chapter 10- No lyrics_

Eddie felt like he had lost Loren forever when she walked out like that. In a way, he felt almost angry, but he also was worried sick about what the future may hold for her. So, he went to his last resort:

His dad.

Eddie loudly thumped on his dads front door, before waiting a few seconds and then knocking again.

"Hello?" His father's tired voice said as the front door swung open. Max rubbed his eyes. He was slightly irritated at his son for waking him up, but immediately regretted it as soon as he saw Eddie's face.

"Dad, something's been going on. Something...bad," Eddie explained, walking into Max's apartment. Max shut the door, looking worriedly at his pacing son.

"Eddie, what's up?" Max asked as he took a seat on the couch. Eddie shook his head and continued to pace back and fourth throughout the living room.

"I... Something... I just..." Eddie tried. But he couldn't seem to find the words. How do you tell someone that a girl who had practically became his daughter was being abused almost daily? Eddie felt like someone had just shoved cotton down his throat.

"You're scaring me, Eddie. What is going on?" Eddie looked at his dad helplessly as he stopped pacing.

"Dad..." He began, "This is hard for me to say, so just let me figure it out. Um... remember, how at the funeral, you told me to go talk to Loren?" Max winced at the memory of Nora's funeral, but nodded. "Well, umm... I did. We talked about Hollyn and her boyfriend, Rory. And when she walked away because the service was starting, I saw a bruise." Eddie looked at his dad, pleading him to understand, but Max only looked confused.

"So, what?" Max asked his son. Eddie sighed and sat next to his dad, running his fingers through his hair.

"Dad," Eddie whispered. "Loren...Loren's boyfriend gave it to her." Max's face turned from confusion to utter shock.

"How...how often...how bad..." Max managed, his voice cracking. It was hard for him to imagine some cruel, brutal man hurting sweet and tiny Loren.

"It's horrible," Eddie murmured. "It's like I'm a ghost, watching and watching but not being able to do anything."

"Who else knows?" Max asked. Eddie shook his head.

"No one." Eddie thought back to the first time he saw Loren. Sweet, beautiful, innocent. But now...the girl was covered in bruises and scars. Her beautiful face tainted with shades of blue and purple. Her once-bright eyes now only shone with pain. Eddie remembered how her smile used to light up a room, and how charismatic she was. But now, it feels like if you can even bring a shadow of a smile to her lips you've accomplished some great task.

"Eddie, you need to call the police. Like, now." Eddie looked at his dad and laughed, although there was no humor in it what-so-ever.

"You think it's that easy, dad? She loves this sob. She would be devastated to see him jailed." Max looked at his son, bewildered,

"So, you'd rather see Loren getting abused by this man than have her be sad for a short period of time? Eddie, that's pathetic." Eddie shook his head.

"You don't understand. She thinks he cares about her. She thinks that every time will be the last. She's so...strong, yet naïve and stubborn. The worst combinations if you ask me. Yet it's what makes her so amazing," Eddie said.

"Yes, Eddie. But she's not stupid. That's what makes this all more confusing."

"Dad," Eddie whispered. "I'm falling for her. Fast." Max looked at his son, concerned.

"Eddie," Max stated slowly. "You can't fall for her. That is only going to make the situation worse, for both her and Hollyn. You like things that are vulnerable; you want to protect them. You aren't falling for her, Eddie. You want to protect her."

"But what if he kills her, what then?" Eddie nearly yelled, suddenly getting up on his feet. Max was surprised by his son's sudden outburst, but remained calmed and focused on the main situation: Loren.

"Eddie-"

"Don't even pretend it's not a possibility, dad. These types of relationships don't end well and you know it."

"Lis-"

"And to make matters even worse, we got in a huge fight three hours ago and now I've helped convince her that Rory loves her without even trying!"

"Eddie, listen to me. Go home. Call Hollyn. Remind yourself why you love Hollyn, okay? She's good for you, Eddie. I promise. Maybe tell her about-"

"Dad, don't even suggest me telling her about Loren. I would be heartless for that."

"Eddie, how would that be heartless?"

"Think about Loren here. She doesn't need another person telling her how stupid she is for loving that ass."

"Ass is a bit of an understatement," Max muttered.

"I'm going to go home," Eddie told Max, before grabbing his jacket and rushing out the door without as much as a goodbye.

* * *

"Hey, you've reached Hollyn, please leave a message and I'll get back as soon as possible. Bye." Eddie slammed the end button on his cellphone for the thousandth time that night. Eddie knew he had been distant with Hollyn for the past few weeks, but you'd think that she'd at least have the decency to pick up her phone.

Eddie put his phone on the table just before his doorbell rang. At first, he chose to ignore it. But then it rang again. And again. And again. Eddie gave a tired sigh and got up to answer the door.

"He-"

"What the hell?" Loren's angry voice said as she pushed past him and barged into his apartment. Her face was now caked with make-up, as usual, and she was wearing a tight green turtle neck and yoga pants. It made Eddie wince, seeing her cover up so much of her beautiful self because of _him._

Snap out of it, Eddie thought.

"What?" Eddie asked, confused. Loren folded her arms across her torso and sighed.

"You told Max?" Eddie looked at her, shocked.

"How did you..."

"He called me. While Rory was in the room. Do you know how bad it looked when he called? Pretty damn bad. Now, thanks to you, Rory's sleeping at his friend's house and he's pissed at me while I have yet another person telling me how stupid I am!" Loren yelled. She could feel tears welling in her eyes, but refused to acknowledge them. Eddie felt angry at everyone. Angry at himself for telling his dad, angry at his dad for telling Loren, and angry at Rory for creating this mess.

"You needed help. I had to tell someone," Eddie defended. Loren scoffed.

"Help? What, do you think I'm some lost three-year-old in a shopping mall? No, I am a full-grown woman in a serious relationship that you keep fucking up! You think I am some poor damsel-in-destress? Well, I have news for you, I am not!" Loren shouted, before storming out of his door just as quickly as she had walked in, leaving him confused and upset.

**Good chapter? LOL sorry for the swearing, I just wanted to express how incredibly angry Loren was at Eddie for telling Max(: Review pwease!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm bored and I felt like writing. Alas, here you go. Enjoy(:**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hollywood Heights, I only own my plot/OC's, please don't steal them, blah blah blah xD**_

_**Dedication: To MyWinterFantasy, for being so incredibly nice in every possible way, and Jenna, my lick, my Loren, my Ceiling Bud, my JabberJay(: Love you chika!**_

_**Shout-out: To Random-Rebecca, for always reviewing since the first chapter(: You are awesome!**_

_Chapter 11- No lyrics_

"Eddie, this is the millionth time you've called. Do I need to call the police?" Eddie heard Hollyn's voice from the other line. He jumped up, surprised that she actually picked up her phone.

"Hollyn?" He asked, only partially believing it was actually her. Hollyn let out a sigh.

"No, this is Bill, I just stole Hollyn's voice and cell phone. No shit this is Hollyn. Now, what do you want?" Hollyn snapped. Eddie was taken aback by this. Hollyn was always sarcastic, but she'd never been so bitter and cold. Eddie sighed.

"I'm sorry I've been distant-"

"Distant? No, Eddie, distant is not talking for a few days. You've been absent. Hell, you disappeared! I called you and texted you and e-mailed you and...nothing. So don't give me distant, Eddie. Let's be realistic." Eddie was speechless.

"Can...can you come over so we can discuss this?" Eddie asked. Hollyn was silent for a minute.

"I guess. Sure. I'll be there in a few," She replied curtly, before pressing the end button and leaving Eddie wondering why he had intentionally messed this up so bad.

* * *

"Okay, I'm here to settle this," Hollyn announced as she strode through Eddie's front door. Her black hair was simply pulled up into a ponytail, and she hadn't even bothered to change out of her sweats and a tank top.

"Right. Look, I love you. I really do. And I hate to end things like this, Hollyn. You mean so much to me. I don't ever wanna lose you again. If you want to end this, I understand. I've been an ass. But I want you to know that I love you and always will, and that I'm truly sorry," Eddie told her. She stared up at him, her face completely blank. He hated how she was so hard to read, but somehow it was one of the little things that made her perfect. After a minute or two of silence, Hollyn finally let out a loud sigh.

"I love you, too. But...can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How long have you and Loren been... y'know..." Hollyn murmured, almost embarrassed by her own question. Eddie stared at Hollyn.

"What?" He asked, lacking a better question in return. Hollyn let out another sigh, but this one wavered a bit.

"I saw the hickey at the dinner, Eddie," Hollyn revealed, looking into his eyes. Then it dawned on him. This whole time, Hollyn had thought Eddie and Loren were seeing each other behind her back. And it made sense, too: why he'd been so distant, how he and Loren suddenly just decided to see each other again after such a hard break-up.

"Hollyn..." Eddie began, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't tell another person. He remembered how pissed Loren had been, and how he'd put her in more danger(if possible) by telling Max.

"Yes?" Hollyn murmured.

"It's...not what you think."

"A little more descriptive, please?" Eddie shook his head. Hollyn gently placed her hand on his knee.

"Please?" She pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It...it wan't a hickey, okay? There's not much more I can tell you."

"If it wasn't a hickey, then what was it?"

"A bruise," He murmured. Hollyn grew more confused.

"How did she get a... oh, no." Hollyn whispered the last part. Eddie looked at Hollyn with sad eyes.

"Yeah," Eddie muttered. He was consumed in guilt instantly. He felt as if he'd betrayed Loren, when all he'd wanted to do was help. But by telling Hollyn, it was for selfish reasons. He wanted to save his relationship, not help Loren with telling her.

"Did her boyfriend..." Hollyn asked, her voice trailing off. She felt like an awful person for not only doubting Eddie, but thinking poor Loren was a whore when it was a cruel action of a cruel person.

"Yes," Was Eddie's simple reply. Hollyn squeezed her eyes shut, and was disturbed by how much it fit.

"You need to call the police." Eddie shook his head.

"I can't. It's so much more complicated than that," He whispered. Hollyn stared at the wall and tried to think if a plan. Although she was gorgeous, she defied the stereotype of being dumb. Hollyn was, in reality, a very clever and smart person, but sometimes ideas were hard to gather.

"Eddie, I'm sorry to change the subject, but can you get me a glass of water? I feel like I'm going to be sick," Hollyn asked. Eddie nodded and got up, leaving the room. The second he was gone, she dashed up from the couch and left the apartment, knowing exactly where she was going and what she was going to do.

She was going straight to Loren's house.

* * *

Loren took another huff of her cigarette, trying to clear her mind. Smoking had been a habit she was desperately trying to break, but she felt like she deserved this. She was almost positive her skull was cracked by now, since this was the second time today Rory had hit her in the face, but she didn't bother going to the hospital or even taking her make-up off from her trip to Eddie's. She felt a hot tear trickle down her left cheek at the thought of him. She felt like a rock was resting on her heart. She couldn't tell what she felt about her former boyfriend. She inhaled deeply and sighed. She knew that she loved Rory, even though he was the reason she was sitting with an aching body in an empty apartment. But whether she loved Eddie or not was a complete mystery to her. She was just...confused.

So, she got up from the corner in which she'd been sitting and walked out the door. The stars shone in the night sky, bright and sparkly like they had always been. That's the thing Loren loved about night. She loved that no matter where you are, the sky stays the same, even though it appears different. It made her think about her life. How that no matter how different she appears or acts, she'll always be _Loren_.

Just Loren.

But the problem was, Loren didn't like Loren. She wanted to be someone else, something else. She thought back to birds. How she longed to be one. How they could go anywhere they wanted at free will and how they could just fly away. But Loren was trapped in this psychotic world, where she was mentally tied to someone but physically desperately wanted to be free. Loren thought of how if she wanted to, she could run away right now, and be free. All she had to do was keep walking forward.

But instead, Loren turned around and walked home.

**This chap may have seemed boring, but I loved writing it and THIS INFO WILL BE VITAL! Let's see if you can figure out what's gonna happen ;) Please review, fave, and follow and I will give you cookies and hugs!**

**Love, TeddyBear(:**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hot pocket? Check. Apple cider? Check. New chap of TB? DOUBLE CHECK! :D Oh, and this is the last chap for a while with no lyrics. If you like that part, never fear, I'll bring them back next chap...probably...**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but plot and OC's, please don't steal, etc. xD**_

_**Dedication: To cassiejohnson05. You are the sweetest. You always make the awesomest suggestions and comment on everything I write with the nicest words to say(: I love ya and this goes to you :D**_

_**Shout-out: To MyWinterFantasy and Guest, for being amazing by standing up for me(: Thank you so so much.**_

_Chapter 12- No Lyrics_

When Loren got home, her house was still empty, although the door was left open. She figured she just forgot to close it and shut the door behind her when she walked in. She fixed herself a Hot Pocket after she'd realized she'd eaten nothing that day and sat on the ragged old couch, before turning on the TV.

"Breaking news: Superstar, Hollyn Gutter, found dead in park only moments ago." Loren froze and dropped the Hot Pocket. Her heart literally went still. "Her body was found in Jently Park, a small park in rural California. The cause of death is unknown, but officials are saying it was homicide. We send our love to her family, loved ones and fans, for she will be missed." Loren shut of the TV, not wanting to hear any more. Her mind immediately went to Eddie, who she had convinced that Hollyn loved him and likewise. But now she regretted it, because it was probably all so hard for him. She also instantly regretted being mad at him earlier, because now, who knows what he's thinking.

At that thought, Loren got up and walked out the door, willing to walk to Eddie's, because Rory still had the car. Her Hot Pocket lay, untouched, on the ground as she began walking.

* * *

Ten miles and two hours later, Loren finally reached Eddie's apartment complex. The front was littered in reporters desperate to get a glimpse of the mourning Eddie (it was sickening, really, that the paparazzi were so damn interested in their pay that they completely ignored a serious personal issue like this) and police cars, some with sirens still running. Loren pushed her way though the crowd.

"Watch it, princess!" One obnoxious fifty-some year old man yelled at Loren. She ignored it and continued pushing her way through, until she reached Walter's desk. He immediately recognized her, nodding towards her and opening the elevator. She nodded at him gratefully and headed up.

Once she got to his floor, she noticed a few desperate reporters who had somehow gotten past Walter calling Eddie's name, and some police men, muttering among themselves.

"Sorry, miss, can't go in," One of the police men told her as soon as she'd tried to open his door.

"I'm a friend."

"I don't care if you're the President of the United States. We can't let you in," He hissed in Loren's face. She groaned.

"Please?" She begged. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, right. Honey, let me tell you something. Just because you're pretty, doesn't mean I'm letting you in. Now, run amuck, before I-" The police man started, before being cut off by the door swinging open and Max's face peeking through.

"Come in, Loren," Max told her, his voice pained.

"But I said-" The police man tried again, but Loren walked passed him like he was invisible. Max shut the door behind Loren once she walked in. Loren couldn't shake the feeling of awkwardness with Max after he'd called her up that day and told her what he knew about Rory.

"How is he holding up?" Loren asked Max, not daring to look behind her shoulder to see Eddie. Over the years, she's learned that, of the few things she hated, she hated seeing Eddie distraught or sad.

"He's hanging in there. It was clearly a shock having reporters walk up to his door and ask questions about his girlfriend who he didn't even know was dead." Loren nodded, feeling an ache in her stomach that felt for her friend. Max hesitated before adding, "How are you holding up?" Loren looked at Max.

"It doesn't matter," She told him, not wanting to turn the situation on her.

"Loren, it matters. Very much." Loren shook her head and looked behind her. Eddie looked zoned, staring off into space and mindlessly answering the questions the police were asking.

"Not now," She said, still looking at Eddie. The police man jotted down some last notes and said a few more words before leaving, his two buddies following behind him. As soon as they were gone, both Loren and Max rushed to Eddie's side. Nor of them said anything. Max leaned his head in his hands while Loren placed a comforting hand on Eddie's shoulder.

"How-how're you holding up?" Max asked, breaking the silence. Eddie shrugged his shoulders.

"It hurts, I guess," He murmured, clearly distraught.

"Son, I hate to do this to you, but I have to go," Max told Eddie gently. "But I'm sure Loren will stay here?" Max added, practically pleading Loren not to leave his son alone.

"Of course," Loren replied. Max nodded and hugged his son before walking out the door.

"Eddie, I-" Loren started.

"Lo, please don't say you're sorry. Please." Loren nodded and rested her head on his shoulder.

"She was a good person, you know," Loren told Eddie. Eddie gave a sad laugh.

"She was. It just seems...so surreal. Like she's not really gone."

"I know you don't wanna hear this, but I'm sorry. So so sorry."

"I've heard that a million times this evening, but for some reason, it means most coming from you." Loren smiled lightly.

"Actually, I think it's technically morning, but thank you," She said. Eddie reached his hand back so it wrapped around Loren's slim waist, pulling her closer to him. He gently placed a kiss on her shoulder, reassuring himself that Loren was, in fact, with him and not gone like everyone else.

"Can you stay tonight?' He asked her. Loren smiled weakly, before nodding.

"Of course," She answered.

And then, just like that, they both fell asleep, in each others arms on the couch.

**xD I enjoyed writing that very very much. Please review, no flames, and I love you mi friendies! xD**


	13. Chapter 13

**Howdy dooooder? Hehe new chap timeeee!**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but plot and OC's, please don't take(:**_

_**Dedication: To Tate, who is the most amazing, fantastical girl. I love you so much, girly. Stay strong.**_

_**Shout-out: To PinkMusicLover3519, for being AMAZEBALLIN!(::::**_

_Chapter 13- No lyrics_

When Rory got home, the first thing he noticed was that Loren was nowhere to be seen. He was furious, of course, because she'd left the house, but was also relieved because she wouldn't see the blood stains on his shirt. So, he quickly changed into a fresh shirt before dialing Loren's cell phone number.

Because Loren Tate was in big trouble.

* * *

Loren didn't know how she felt. Because, lets face it. Her love life had been a hell of a ride. She was wrapped in a grieving ex-boyfriends arms, being held tight and secure. She felt so safe in his arms, like she always had. But then there's Rory, who she loved, but deep down knew she had to get out. Something inside of her knew that this relationship was bad in capital letters. But yet, she stayed with him.

The worst part was, she didn't know why.

Inside she felt like screaming. She was falling for a man who had just lost his freaking girlfriend. And she had a boyfriend, too! She felt like she shouldn't be thinking like this. It was selfish in her eyes, like all she could do was take, take, take. But yet, she knew she was slowly falling for Eddie again. No matter how many times she tried to shake it, she knew that old feelings had resurfaced. She kept thinking back to the kiss, and how she had felt. She felt like she was healing with the kiss. Because, lets face it, on the inside, Loren was completely, 100% shattered. Just like that.

But, no matter how many times she denied it, Loren was falling for Eddie all over again.

* * *

Eddie kept Loren close in his arms, not wanting to hurt her but also not wanting to let go. He felt like a piece of him had just been stolen, and she was the antidote. The fact that Hollyn was dead would hit him like a brick at the most random moments, and he'd feel soulless for a second, until he felt Loren in his grasp. That would instantly make him remember that there was a reason for living. He'd had experience with the death of a loved one, so the shity feeling wasn't unfamiliar. It was just different this time. When his mother died, he felt like a shell of a man, and he and his dad would just sit and grieve together at times. But with Hollyn's death, he felt the emptiness, but not as severe as before. It left an icy sting in his heart, but not the complete burn he felt with his mother. He still felt like he had lost a piece of him, but not his complete soul like he did before. No, this time it was different; painful, but not like his mom had been. And he figured it was only Loren that made the pain ease.

He looked at the beautiful, bruised brunette in his arms. She looked so much younger in her sleep, more like the spontaneous yet wise eighteen year old fangirl who he'd fallen for rather than the broken, sad yet so strong girl she was now. Gently, he brushed a piece of hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. He couldn't help but think back to the car accident four years ago, when everyone had thought he was dead. Eddie had tried asking Loren what happened, but she got choked up and shook her head, not able to answer. All he really knew about Loren from that time was what he learned from her interview. He knew that she had lived in his apartment for the time he was gone, and that, from her face, she clearly felt depressed. He blocked himself from imagining what would happen if the tables were turned. He didn't want to thing of a life without Loren. But after the break up, he realised that it had been so much worse than his mind would've thought up. And now, here she was, so close to dead yet with a beating, caring heart. Eddie knew he missed Hollyn, and he knew how much of a permanent scar she'd leave on him forever.

But, no matter how many times he denied it, Eddie was falling for Loren all over again.

**I. Loved. Writing. This. Hehe. Well, please review, no flames accepted, and I wuv you guys(: my apologies for the shortness! Also, I will officially only be doing updates once a week, because I have a huge project to do and school and the holidays...please don't hate moi): **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello! Happy Tuesday my peeps! Hope you like the chap(: It is a little sad, but it had to happen): Hope you like! **

_**Disclaimer: Reese/Teddy/Melissa/Wrench/Teddybear/Reesie doesn't own this show or song. In fact, all she owns is the plot and OC's, and she'd appreciate if you didn't take them(: Reese/Teddy/Melissa/Wrench/Teddybear/Reesie says thank you.**_

_**Dedication: To Jenna and Tate. You girls mean everything to me(': I love you so much, besties(: We already have our future planned out! Roomies;) We've all had our issues, but we stuck together through it all. It hurts that Kayla isn't with us anymore, but we'll always remember her and we have each other to hurt with. Sorry for the long dedication, but I've had a rough day and I just wanted to tell you guys how much I love you(: Sincerely, Your TeddyBear.**_

**_Shout-out: To Coleegirl, for being so cool and amazing_(:**

_Chapter 14- You are too beautiful, your heart, it wants something more, those shades of blue on that face of yours hide that smile that beats in your chest._

When Eddie woke up, he couldn't help but notice that Loren was still fast asleep in his arms and looking beautiful. The make-up had worn off from her face overnight, revealing the bruises on her otherwise perfect face. It reminded him of how incredibly fragile she was, even though she pretended she was completely and perfectly fine.

Eddie only got a few moments to admire the lovely, sleeping Loren Tate before she began stirring.

"Hey," She attempted to say, but it sounded more like "Hmph". But Eddie knew Loren's "sleep language", so he chuckled and replied, "Hey".

"What time is it?" Loren asked, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. It took her a moment to remember what had happened last night. She almost instantly wanted to go back asleep into dream-land, where none of it happened.

But it all did.

"Don't know. Probably eight-ish?" Eddie replied. He still felt heavy from what happened last night, but it hadn't really settled.

"Oh, w-" Loren started, but got cut off by Eddie's annoying ringtone. She bit back a swear as he got up from where he was sleeping and answered the phone.

"Hello?" He said, almost curtly, although it wasn't intentional.

"Hello. This is Maybelle, Hollyn's mum," Replied a cracked, distraught English voice on the other line. "I just wanted to inform you that the funeral will be tomorrow, at this garden... I'm having Haddie send you the details." Eddie felt more than bad for poor Maybelle. She knew that Hollyn lost a sister, Darci, a few years back, as well as her dad, Charles, so this is the fourth loved one Maybelle has lost. It would be tragic, really, in Eddie's eyes.

"Okay," Eddie replied, his voice not willing to go more than a whisper. This was the moment-that awful moment he had dreaded.

The moment when it finally hit him that Hollyn was dead, and not with him any longer. There was a click on the other line, indicating that Maybelle had hung up. Eddie put his phone back on the table.

"Eddie," Loren asked, her voice gentle and steady, as if coaxing a puppy or something to come towards her. "Are you okay?" Eddie didn't do anything, just stared out the window, his eyes fixated on a point in the sky.

Hollyn was gone...

_*Flashback*_

"Oh my god, is that Eddie Duran?" Called a charming, English voice from the other side of the supermarket. Eddie grinned.

"Well, if it isn't the one-and-only Hollyn Gutter," He replied, turning to face his girlfriend. She wheeled her cart over to him, parking it right next to his.

"What brings you to this fine part of town?" She asked.

"I'm going to cook this."

"Oh, please, Eddie. You can't cook spaghetti." Eddie laughed.

"While that may be true, it doesn't mean I can't try," He replied, looking down in her basket and raising an eyebrow.

"You, on the other hand, must really like Twinkies," He noted, pointing to the at least fifteen boxes of Twinkies in her cart, all stacked neatly, and the bag of salad that rested, nearly unnoticed, in the corner of the cart, making the situation even funnier. Hollyn shrugged.

"I get hungry."

"And the salad?"

"You can't live off of Twinkies, dumbass. You've got to have something healthy in the mix."

"Right. So... Twinky and lettuce sandwiches then?" Eddie said. Hollyn gave mock-surprise.

"Mind reader!" She yelled, pointing a finger at him and making almost the whole section of the store look at them. Eddie laughed.

"Alright, so what are you doing after your Thanksgiving feast?"

"Well, A), I'm English and don't celebrate Thanksgiving, and B), I would believe I'm free," Hollyn replied. Eddie grinned.

"Come over then." Hollyn bit her lip.

"I dunno...will you be cooking? If you are, then that's a definite no," Hollyn said. Eddie laughed again.

"No, I will not be cooking. You can bring your Twinkies and we shall feast on them while watching TV."

"We shall?"

"We shall," Eddie repeated. Hollyn grinned.

"Sounds like a plan," She told him, before striding off into the distance.

And they did just that, ate Twinkies on the couch while watching re-runs of _the Simpsons_ and _Glee_, which, Eddie would defend, was all Hollyn's choice.

_*End of Flashback*_

"Eddie?" Loren called, snapping him out of his memory. Now, the icy sting he'd felt previously was complete heartbreak, like he'd just been run-over by a thousand monster trucks. Even with Loren in the room, he felt like a complete wreck, so much worse than it had been just moments ago. Loren bit her lip and sighed. She knew that she had to give Eddie time, alone, to grieve, but she couldn't bring herself to leave. She was honestly scared of what he might do if she were going to leave.

"Yes?" He replied, his voice hollow. Loren looked at him with sad eyes.

"Would you like me to leave?" Loren asked. Eddie almost instantly shook his head. With Loren in the room, things were bad. But if she were to leave, the emptiness would surround him, make the pain worse.

"No. It would be worse if you did." Loren nodded, understanding what he meant, about loneliness consuming them when you were left alone after losing someone close.

"Okay," She whispered, not meeting his eyes and instead averting her stare to her feet. She hated when Eddie was sad. It made her insides feel all mushy and guilty, and she would do whatever it took to make it stop.

"How about," Loren started, moving her gaze from her feet to Eddie. "I play you a song." A ghost of a smile tugged on the corners of Eddie's lips.

"Would you?"

* * *

Rory cursed out loud when he realized that Loren was still gone, even after he'd been out for hours at the bar.

"Where the hell is he?" Rory growled, staring at the empty house in front of him. Not a soul was in sight. Rory wondered nervously if Loren had figured out what had happened, but he shrugged it off.

"No," He assured himself aloud. "I covered my tracks." He did one last thorough check throughout the house, before storming out the house and slamming the door behind him. He was clearly fuming, something even the usually oblivious neighbours could even see. He got into his truck, flipping the key in the ignition and driving away from the tiny shed of a house.

Loren Tate was going to pay.

* * *

"If you could turn back the clock,

What would you do,

What would you stop?

If you could breathe a little more,

How long would you do it for?

When everything is over and gone,

When every possible thing has gone wrong,

Hold your head high,

And put on a smile.

Something good comes with bad,

Just be patient for a little while," Loren sang. It felt...different, but so familiar to her. She couldn't place it. She had written the song over the past year and a half, trying to channel her emotions into her work. Loren looked up at Eddie, who was smiling. It made Loren's heart feel all fuzzy, knowing that she had made him smile even though it had been such a rough time for him.

"I think..." Eddie began. "That you are incredibly talented and that I missed hearing your voice." Loren smiled at Eddie's words, looking at the ground to hide her blush.

"Thanks," Was her lame reply. "I hate to do this, but I really need to get home. Rory is probably getting suspicious." Loren told him apologetically. Eddie looked at her, and it felt like all of a sudden his current world had crashed down on him, ruining the three seconds of happiness he'd experienced.

"Right," He said reluctantly. "I'll drive you." Noticing his hesitation, Loren made a quick decision for the sake of her friend.

"You know what?" She told him. "I don't think it would hurt if I stayed a little longer." Eddie smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Lo."

**Eh? So? What did you think? I liked this chapter, actually xD And the lyrics are mine, sorry if they suck. I'm an amateur songwriter at best xD**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ow. My neck hurts because I'm at a funky angle. Well, whatever. Here is the new chap! My apologies, my lovelies, because it has been WAY to long): I sawwy): Oh, and please follow me on Instagram! livinlikelarry12312 (: I will follow back AND be your best friend! xD Oh, and by the way, happy end of the world ;)**

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but plot and OC's, so please don't steal(:**_

_**Dedication: To my AMAZBALLIN Instagram followers, for being incredible!(:**_

_**Shout-out: To LoveForeverxo, for writing her amazing fanfic that has become one of my favourites! Seriously, you guys NEED to check it out!**_

_Chapter 15- No lyrics_

"Dammit, Rory! Where the hell are you?" Loren asked her empty apartment. Unfortunately, no answer came. She groaned aloud and made her way to the bathroom, pulling out the dreaded make-up bag. She sighed and pulled out the foundation, the brush, and everything else and prepared herself.

Because today was the day she would go to Hollyn's funeral.

* * *

Rory cursed loudly as he slammed his fist against the wheel. He'd looked every where for Loren, but she was nowhere to be seen. Part of him told him just to go home and wait her out, but the rest told him to get a beer.

He decided to go with number two.

But the longer he waited for her, the angrier he got. Oh, yes. Loren was in a load of trouble. And she didn't even know it.

* * *

Loren wore the same dress she wore to her mothers funeral, but it didn't fit the same as it used to. It felt fine, yet so different. She couldn't quite place why. It had been two months since she last wore this dress, so it was possible she could've lost or gained a little weight, but it didn't feel baggy or tight. It just felt foreign.

Loren had made triple sure that her bruises were covered. The last thing she needed was for people to worry about her. She wanted people to solely mourn Hollyn. Even though Loren barely knew her, she knew that Hollyn and herself would've been friends, given the chance to get to know eachother. It was a sad event that Hollyn was gone, so Loren wanted to make sure that she was just another person there to grieve the loss of a potential friend.

Even if it involved rocking a total cake-face.

After Loren was finished with her make-up and all, she took a quick glance at her watch. Three fifty-seven. Eddie would be there to pick her up at four. Loren quickly walked to the bedroom, grabbing her only pair of heels, and slipping them on her feet, ignoring the still hovering pain in her stomach and back. She finished putting her shoes on just in time before the bell rang. She got up and answered the door, not daring to meet Eddie's sad eyes.

"Are you ready?" He asked her, his voice hollow. Loren just nodded and followed him out to the car, taking a seat in the passengers side and staring blankly out the window. Eddie started driving almost the second she was in, not waiting for anything. After about ten minutes of driving, Eddie broke the silence.

"Thank you," He told her, his voice hoarse, "For coming with me." Loren looked up at him, even though she still wasn't meeting his eyes.

"Of course," She said simply. Loren wanted nothing more than to be there for Eddie, but she was at a loss of words. What can you say to some one who just lost their girlfriend?

"I mean it, Loren. I'm really glad you came back into my life," Eddie paused, forcing Loren to meet his eyes. "Even if it is under the circumstances." Loren felt herself blush, then kicked herself for doing so.

_Loren_, she told herself, _h__e only said that because he's glad we're friends again. We are no more than that._

Loren felt self-hatred for being so conceited for even thinking for a second Eddie had feelings for her. _The kiss_, she told herself, _meant nothing, remember?_ It was just a reminder of how they couldn't stay together.

"Me, too," She whispered, grimacing as they pulled up to the spot where Hollyn's funeral would be held. Eddie got out of the car before Loren, walking over quickly and opening up the door for her. Loren blushed madly before trailing shyly behind him, trying not to make it to obvious that she didn't belong.

"Eddie," A voice said, making Loren look up from her feet. A small, thin brunette girl with dark curls matching Hollyn's and big, blue eyes stood in front of them, wearing a short, lacy dress that dropped to her thigh. Next to her stood a girl who couldn't have been more than eight, with a missing front tooth and wispy blonde hair that reached her elbows. Both of the girls had red-rimmed eyes, making it clear that they've been crying.

"Hello, Haddie," Eddie replied, his voice sympathetic. It dawned on Loren that these poor girls must've been Hollyn's sisters.

"Thank you for coming," Haddie said with a sniffle. The little girl next to her looked up at Eddie.

"Do you know what happened to Holly?" The girl asked. Haddie looked at the girl, and then to Eddie.

"No, Mitchie, he doesn't," Haddie told her sister. The girl, now known as Mitchie, resumed looking at the floor.

"Oh, who's this?" Haddie asked, upon noticing Loren. Loren looked up, feeling uncomfortable and out of place.

"I'm Loren," She introduced quietly. Haddie gave a pained smile.

"Loren Tate. I used to love your music," Haddie told Loren. Loren looked up at her, shocked.

"What?"

"Mars? It was one of my favourites. I actually heard your music before I heard Eddie's." Haddie laughed slightly. Loren, however, was still in shock.

"Thank you," She said. Haddie smiled weakly, before turning to her sister.

"C'mon. Let's go find mum. The service will be starting soon."

* * *

Rory took a long swig of his amber-coloured beer. The bar-tender, Mike, watched him carefully, praying for him to order another so his profits went up. Rory slammed the mug on the counter and pointed up at the old, beaten up TV.

"What're you watching?" Rory asked, trying his best not to slur his words. Mike looked up at the TV before chuckling deeply.

"Hollyn Gutter's funeral. I hated her shit, but you gotta admit, she was hot as hell." Rory glared at the television. Most people would think he'd feel guilt rather than anger, but he did; he felt mad that so many people cared about her. He watched mindlessly. Many people were crying, while Mike laughed darkly in the background.

But then, one person in particular caught his eye.

"Holy shit," Rory muttered. It took him a minute to know for sure, but it was pretty clear after a while.

"Dude, ain't that your girl?" Mike asked, pointing up at a certain girl in the big crowd. Rory was clearly fuming, while Mike laughed hysterically. "Oh, and look! She's with Eddie Duran!" Rory's eyes opened a bit further, and his anger grew a bit bigger.

"Bitch!" Rory exclaimed, standing up so quickly his chair flew behind him and skidded across the empty bar, before finally tipping over and crashing to the ground.

"Whoa, dude. Calm the rage. It ain't like she slept with him or anything. Oh, wait! She probably did!" Mike burst with laughter again, while Rory glared angrily at the television.

"Hell no! Tha' bitch be'er not've!" Rory burst, grabbing another chair and throwing it against the wall, causing it to break. This time, Mike didn't laugh.

"Hey, you're going to pay for that!" Mike yelled after the raging Rory. But it was too late. Rory was already out the door.

And this time, he knew exactly where to find Loren.

**Bum bum bummmmm! Haha again, I sawwy for the long wait, and I hope you enjoyed!(: Review pwease!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys! How was your Christmas? I got Russian candy from my aunt Olya and uncle Jason! xD I very much regret eating the chocolate with a pineapple on front though...not a smart move on my part xD Also, I got a review saying that Nora was too young to die. I think I put somewhere that she died in a boating accident, but in case I didn't, well, that's how she died): Any who, I hope you guys had a good holiday and it's new chap time! You guys are going to hate me at the end though...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but plot and OC's, so please don't take**

**Dedication: Hkg1999, for being plain amazing and making my day so much better :D You rock! **

**Shout-out: To Guest, who didn't put their name but I wanted to say that your review made me smile so so so much(: **

_Chapter 16- She stands in the mirror, she looks less alive. She lifts up her shirt to see she has five branded fingers on her side. She's feeling it all now... But she doesn't cry. She doesn't cry._

After the funeral, Loren and Eddie didn't talk. There was nothing to be said. Loren wanted to express how sorry she was for Eddie, but she couldn't seem to find the words. She found herself opening her mouth, prepared to say something, then closing it, deciding it wouldn't make anything better.

After fifteen long minutes, Eddie finally stopped the car in front of Loren's house. Loren wanted to get out, but she knew she had to say something.

"Eddie," She started, her voice hoarse, "She was a lovely person. I'm so sorry for your loss." Loren debated something, before leaning over the armrest in between seats and kissing him on the cheek.

"Bye," She said as she left the car and made her way into her house. Her heart ached for her friend, but she didn't know what she could do. She knew she probably should've stayed with him, but on the other hand, he hadn't been alone at all in the past forty-eight hours and most likely just needed some space. Loren understood completely.

Loren approached the squeaky, ripped screen door and pushed it forward, noticing that the other one was already open. Rory must've been home, but the funny thing was, she didn't see his car out front. She shrugged it off and entered her tiny, run-down house that almost looked more like a shack.

"Rory?" She called, but no answer came. Again, she shrugged it off and draped her jacket over the old couch. Her feet found the kitchen as she stood up on her tip-toes, trying to reach some cereal and a bowl.

"Looking for something?" Rory's voice asked. Loren jumped, spun around, and then laughed.

"Just the cereal," She replied, trying her best to be chipper after the funeral.

"So," Rory asked casually, sitting down on a stool in front of the counter, "What were you doing at Hollyn Gutter's funeral?" Loren froze.

"W-What?" She stuttered.

"I saw you on TV," Rory replied calmly, "With _Eddie Duran_. Did you know her?" Loren's stomach churned with fear.

"Um, y-yeah, not well though," She said honestly, trying but failing to hide her fear.

"So, why did you go?"

"I, uh..." Loren racked her brain, trying to find an answer, but she couldn't come up with one.

"Loren," Rory spat, getting angrier and angrier by the second. "Why were you at Hollyn Gutter's funeral?" Loren swallowed hard, deciding that she had to try and lie.

"I wasn't," She whispered, hoping he wouldn't catch her in her lie. But, he did.

"Lying bitch!" Rory shouted, standing up and making Loren realize just how much bigger he was than her. "I saw you on the TV!" Loren's eye's widened. She hadn't even thought about how the funeral would be publicized.

"I'm sorry!" She yelled back.

"You know, Loren," Rory said, his voice returning to the deadly calm. "Hollyn showed up here. Right before she died." Loren stared at Rory, not sure what he was getting at. "She said something about how she knew about us. Do you know what she meant by that, Loren?" Loren held back a gasp.

_No. No, he couldn't have_, she thought.

"No," Loren whispered, trying her hardest not to let him believe she was scared.

And that was the moment when it all hit her. Realization came crashing down on her like a bucket of ice-cold water. She realized how horrible Rory was. She realized that, if he really loved her, she wouldn't be scared. She realized just how naïve she was. And, worst of all, she was beginning to realize that Rory had killed Hollyn. She realized that the last year and a half didn't have to happen. That this love was just an illusion that her mind played on her. That Rory played on her. Everything was fake, all but her bruises and scars. She suddenly understood what Eddie had been trying to tell her all this time. And that Rory was all wrong for her. She realized how wrong everything was at the moment. She realized that she needed to break things off, now.

All in one moment, she realized that Eddie had been right for the past two and a half months. Just like that.

"Rory," She said suddenly. "We need to break things off." She wasn't gentle about it or anything. She was only focused on getting out.

"What?" Rory asked, clearly in shock.

"This... this isn't working out. I have to go." Loren said her words so quickly they were almost slurred, but she didn't care. She had finally come to her senses and realized how awful Rory was. All this time she spent in denial, it was finally over.

"You aren't going anywhere," Rory said darkly, grasping her wrist just as she started to walk out the door. Loren glared up at him.

"Why? Are you afraid I'm going to tell people about Hollyn?" Loren retorted icily, before realizing who she was talking to. Rory released her wrist and raised his fist, slamming it across her cheek and making her collapse to the ground. It hurt, but Loren wasn't about to cry. Not now.

"No, you aren't going to leave because no one else will ever love you," Rory hissed, cornering her. Loren stood up and faced him as best she could, wishing herself taller so she could look him face-to-face.

"That's not true," She snapped. Rory grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pinned her against the wall.

"What? You think Eddie Duran will love you again, huh? Well, let me tell you something, princess. What makes you think he'll go for someone like you?" Loren swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fact that his hand had moved from the collar of her shirt to her neck.

"He's done it before," Loren retorted. His grip on her neck grew tighter.

"He could have anyone in this world, Loren. What makes you think he'll go for you? You little shit. He can never love you," Rory said with an almost phychotic laugh as his grip got even tighter. "I'm the only one who ever will." Loren was beginning to find it hard to breathe. She tried to say something back, but his grip on her neck kept her from doing so. All of a sudden, he released her, throwing her down to the ground. He kicked her in the ribs, hard.

"You little shit!" He shouted. Loren prayed for the neighbours to hear, for someone to come help her.

But they didn't. They never did.

"First you sleep with someone else, then you accuse me of killing Hollyn Gutter. How much attention do you need?" The truth was, she just needed someone to walk through that door. Right at that moment, she needed someone to storm in and save her.

But no one did.

"I can't believe it. And then, you try to leave me!" Rory threw another punch Loren's way, and she was too weak to dodge it. Even though she was still in pain, and was still finding it hard to breathe, she didn't release a single tear. Rory grabbed her side, dragging her up and pushing her against a wall. Loren felt as if her ribs would crack from being trapped between Rory and the wall.

"No one can love you, Loren," Rory hissed in her ear, his breath smelling badly of alcohol. "No one but me." Rory released his tight, painful grip on her side to throw yet another punch, but Loren took that as her opportunity. She quickly hobbled towards the bathroom, the only room in he house that had a lock on it. Although it was only a few feet away, Loren barely was able to shut the door and lock it before Rory began pounding on it.

"Loren! Get out of there!" He screamed, but Loren tried not to listen. Hell, she was finding it hard _to _listen.

"You worthless bitch!" Rory shouted. He yelled a few more cruel things, but Loren couldn't hear him until she heard one last loud curse and the door slamming.

Loren looked at herself in the mirror, really truly looking at herself for the first time in a while. She looked like a ghost, minus the blue and black spots and hand print on her neck. She looked dead. She carefully lifted up the hem of her shirt and felt nauseated when she saw the large, black hand print. She felt everything now. She felt all of the months, trapped and alone, not realizing what was going on. This hand print showed her how she messed things up. She realized that she was the reason for Hollyn's death. That, if she hadn't told Eddie about Rory, if she had just done a better job of covering up that bruise on her neck during the funeral, if she had just been left to die the day Eddie found her after one of Rory's beatings, Hollyn would still be here. With Eddie. A careless Eddie, who thought Loren was just an ex-girlfriend rather than the ex-girlfriend who's abused.

It was all her fault.

Loren didn't think before her next actions. She found a piece of paper and a pen in the drawers, and scribbled a few words on the paper. After she read it for the millionth time, she reached up into the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of pills, from something she couldn't even remember. She poured them into her hand, only one thing racing through her mind.

_I can't hurt anyone anymore._

**Do you hate me? Yes, you probably do. Dare I ask for reviews? Please no hate me): **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, my friends! Gonna keep this message short. The previous chapter was not the last one, and there will be about five more left, including an epilouge. Please enjoy, because these next few chapters are going to be insane.**

_**Disclaimer: I own nada but plot and OC's, so please don't take them.**_

_**Dedication: To my fellow Creeplandians :3**_

_**Shout-out: To thecurlingiron, for your amazingly sweet reviews(:**_

_Chapter 17- No Lyrics_

Eddie got the phone call at 11:59 P.M.

"Hello?" He grumbled into his cell phone, stopping it from going berserk. _Great_, he thought, _my first nights sleep in the past three days and it's interrupted by a phone call._

"Eddie?" A familiar voice said. Eddie sat upright, shocked to hear that voice.

"Melissa?" He replied, completely taken by surprise from the unexpected phone call.

That's the exact moment he knew that something was wrong. Because, not only did Melissa hate him from he and Loren's break-up, but she also wouldn't have searched for his number unless it was important.

"Yeah." Melissa's voice cracked, and she took a deep breath.

"How-how did you get my number? And why are you calling me at," Eddie paused to take a look at his clock near the bed side, "11:59 at night?"

"The police gave it to me. Eddie, something really bad happened tonight. You need to come to the hospital, _now_." Eddie's eyes widened at Melissa's urgent words.

"What? Why?"

"Loren just tried to kill herself," Melissa said, before breaking out in sobs. "You-you were in h-her note, a-and they d-don't think th-that sh-she's going to ma-make it through t-the night. Get down here as f-fast as possible." That was all it took for Eddie to get up from his bed and pull on some clothes. He didn't need to be told twice if anything involved Loren being injured.

"Okay, Melissa, I'm on my way," Eddie assured the still sobbing Melissa on the other line, trying to hold himself together. Suddenly, he was wide awake.

"Hurry," She mumbled, before ending the call. Eddie fumbled into his clothes, not even bothering to look half-way decent. He didn't give a shit if paparazzi saw him looking like a train wreck. He needed to get down to the hospital to see Loren, and at that moment, nothing else mattered.

The trip from his apartment to his car was a blur. He almost couldn't remember anything from the past five minutes, except for Melissa's haunting words:

_Loren just tried to kill herself._

Eddie shuttered at the thought. Who would think that Loren- who, granted, used to be a bit of a pessimist, but now was beyond optomistic- would try to kill herself. It was scary. And the worst part was, even though it was so out-of-character and not Loren, he knew why she did it. And, worst of all, he knew he could've prevented it.

What he didn't understand, though, is why today.

Eddie took a deep breath as he sat in his car. Lucky for him, traffic was not that bad. It was LA, so, of course, it was somewhat crowded, but not as bad as day-time traffic.

He remembered something his mom said a while ago, about falling in true love. How there were three signs that you were in love with someone. One of them was that you know you love someone if you would do anything for them. Eddie thought that that one was a no-brainer. He would gladly take a bullet for Loren without a moment's hesitation. Another was that you think they're beautiful, even if they don't. Again, a no-brainer for Eddie. He thought that Loren was the most beautiful girl on the planet.

And Eddie has seen _a lot_ of girls.

But the one that brought him up short was that you'd never let anyone hurt them. Eddie used to think that he wouldn't. In fact, he was sure that if anyone ever lay a finger on Loren they would be dead meat. But now, everything's so twisted. If anyone touched Loren while Eddie was in the room, they'd be dead in minutes. But, then there was the main situation: Rory. The name alone made Eddie want to strangle him. It killed Eddie that Loren was going through this. He wanted to help her so bad. He's been trying to help her get out, but everything was so complicated. He knew that Loren loved the scumbag. But he hurt her. And, no matter how much Eddie scrambled, Loren and Rory were still going strong.

Even so, Eddie knew now that if anyone ever tried to hurt Loren, he would purposely kill them right then and there.

That's also when Eddie realised that he was, indeed, in love with Loren.

Eddie pulled into the parking lot of the hospital without even thinking about where he was going. He walked straight to the front desk. A blonde woman with a name tag that said Grace led him down a series of winding halls, until they finally reached a room with the letters '304' plastered on the front. Grace silently opened the door and allowed Eddie inside. Only four people sat inside. Melissa, of course, was kneeling next to her best friend and clutching her hand while her husband(he assumed), Adam, rubbed her back comfortingly. A blonde girl Eddie faintly recognized sat in one of the chairs, staring blankly at the white wall, while a boy who looked somewhat like Melissa wrapped his arm around her and had his gaze fixed on Loren.

That's when Eddie really looked at Loren for the first time.

Her face was pale, but with dark circles under her eyes and a few bruises in several places. A large, sickening hand print was on her neck, making Eddie nauseated. He hated seeing Loren hooked up to tubes and attached to a slowly beeping heart monitor. Melissa looked up at Eddie and stood up, quickly walking over to him.

"Do you know what happened?" She asked him. Eddie took one last look at Loren before turning his gaze to Melissa.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know what the bruises are? Because we don't. And we need to," Melissa told him. Eddie looked her straight in the eye, deciding that it was time to tell.

"Yes," He said slowly, his voice cracking. "I know what they are."

**Whew. Heavy chapter. So, Loren is not dead, but will she live? You guys know me, I'm unpredictable. Expect the unexpected, my darlings. Please review! They make me want to write more(: **


	18. Chapter 18

**Surprised? ;) I am too! I just wanted to post this as a major thank you to everyone. I'm about to get a little mushy-gushy. I'm going to say thank you all so much for the amount of reviews I have. I never, not once, imagined that I would have nearly four hundred reviews on any story of mine. Ever. I thought maybe forty, if I was lucky. But you guys made me feel so special, like maybe I am talented. I've wanted to be a writer since I was in third grade, and you guys help me think that maybe that can happen. I hope you know that I read every single review you leave, and I'm so grateful for all of them. So, thank you guys for helping me through some tough times, helping me become a better writer, and helping me feel a lot more confident. I love you all, and I hope you have a great day(:**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Hollywood Heights**_

_**Dedication: To everyone who's ever taken the time to read my stories. Thank you so much(:**_

_**Shout-out: To Tate, who doesn't know which brand of milk she prefers.**_

_Chapter 18- You are too beautiful, your heart, it wants something more._

Melissa's hands were shaking so hard she dropped everything she tried to pick up. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and, despite the people in the room, she felt more lonely than ever.

"Melissa?" Adam cooed in her ear. The whole evening, Adam had been trying to comfort Melissa, only to be ignored or shooed away. He knew Mel wasn't trying to be rude. It was clear Melissa was just in a state right now where she needed to be in her own world.

"That all happened?" Melissa croaked to Eddie. Her voice sounded alien to everyone in the room. Melissa was never one to be sad. She was always the one to crack a joke wherever, whenever. But now was not the time.

"Yes," Eddie whispered. He could still taste the bitter words in his mouth after explaining to Melissa what had happened to Loren recently.

"And you didn't call the damn police?" Melissa mumbled. She looked like she was ready to shout and pummel Eddie, but she couldn't find a spark in her to do so.

"I couldn't. She loved that thing," Eddie told her, taking one of Loren's limp hands in his own.

"You could've called me. Or anyone who actually cared what happened to Loren and didn't want her to end up here," Melissa said bitterly. Eddie looked up at her, but knew she meant no harm. She was just devastated right now, after seeing her former best friend almost dead in a hospital.

"I do care, Melissa," Eddie murmured. The room was silent for a moment, all but Loren's beeping heart monitor.

"The neighbours found her," Melissa said, cutting the silence in the gloomy room. "They said they heard screaming next door. They walked over, and found Loren in the bathroom. The wife fainted, but the husband was able to call the police. As it turns out, Loren had been laying there for hours. They said if she'd been there another minute she probably wouldn't be alive. They were able to hook her up to an IV and try to keep her heart beating. They tried flushing her system several times. But she's in critical condition." A tear slid down Melissa's cheek. "They don't think she'll make it through the night." Eddie felt a lump in his throat, as tears brimmed in his eyes. He gripped Loren's hand a little tighter.

"Can I see the note?" Eddie asked. Melissa grimaced.

"It's on the bed stand. I had to confirm it was her handwriting at the police station," Melissa mumbled. Eddie reluctantly let go of Loren's hand and reached for a piece of lined paper that rested on the nightstand. He grabbed it and walked outside the room. not wanting people around when he read it. He grimaced as he carefully unfolded it.

_"I'm so sorry if this hurts you. I can't take the guilt anymore. I know who killed Hollyn Gutter. It was Rory. He killed her because she knew. And it's all my fault for telling Eddie. I'm so sorry I've ruined your life. I don't want this to be long. Just know that Melissa, if you read this, you're strong, independent, and can get through anything. Phil, same for you. Adrianna, I've always been jealous of your beauty and I think you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. Adam, if you break Melissa's heart, you're still dead meat. I don't think you will, though. You two are perfect for each other._

_And Eddie. I'm sorry I wrecked everything. I wish I had never come into your life. I never wanted to hurt you. I hope that you'll find the perfect girl one day, even though I might have stolen her from you. I know it's not fair for me to say this, but I want you to know. I love you._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Loren."_

Eddie read and re-read the letter, trying to drill Loren's last words into his mind. Rory killed Hollyn. And Loren blamed herself. Eddie wanted to kill Rory now more than ever. He slumped down in he hallway, leaning his back against the wall.

"Eddie?" Melissa's hollow voice called as she peeked out the hospital door.

"Yes?" He whispered. Melissa trudged over and sat next to him.

"I'm so sorry," She told him. He stared at the white wall.

"I love her, too," He said, turning to Melissa. Her face paled, and a tear traced down her cheek.

"I know you did. I think deep down, she knew it too," Melissa replied. Her voice cracked, but she ignored it.

"She'll make it," Eddie assured both Mel and himself. "She's a tough cookie. She'll survive." Melissa rested her head on Eddie's shoulder.

"Eddie, she was brave. And smart and kind and talented. We'll always remember her for that, even if she doesn't make it." Eddie wiped a tear of his face.

"She will. I know it." Eddie looked down at Melissa, whose head was still rested on his shoulder.

"Where's Loren?" A gruff, angry voice asked, causing both Mel and Eddie to jump. Eddie didn't recognize the man, but it didn't take him long to figure it out. He was tall and burly, with huge muscles and a beefy neck. His thick brown hair was somewhat short, revealing his harsh features. Melissa gasped next to him.

"Rory? What the hell are you doing here?" She asked. Eddie looked up at the man again. So this was Rory. This was the man who killed his girlfriend and made Loren try to kill herself. Rory's eyes narrowed.

"Melissa?"

**Dun, dun, dunnnnn! How do Rory and Melissa know each other? Well, of course, I know the answer, but you young'ins don't xD Please review, my old pals!(:**


	19. Chapter 19

**I am so so so sick, but I figured I'd write another chapter in celebration of my four-hundred reviews. Thank you guys so much. It means the world to me *heart* Just to let you know, I reposted this chapter and added new, important stuff, so I recomend you re-read it(: **

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Hollywood Heights_**

**_Dedication: To anyone who's ever reviewed. Thank you so much(:_**

**_Shout-out: Mah Creeplandian queens_**

_Chapter 19- No Lyrics_

Melissa stood there in shock. How could _Rory_, of all people, be here? How on earth did he find out about Loren? How did he even _know_ Loren?

"So," Rory growled, "I guess you and Loren know each other?" Melissa rolled her eyes.

"We were only best friends throughout our adolescence," Melissa retorted. Rory glared at her, his blue eyes piercing right through her soul.

"Well, then," Rory hissed, "I suppose I'll go check up on my girlfriend, now." Melissa double taked.

"Y-your what?" Melissa stuttered, but Rory was already headed through the door.

"No. Wait. Stop." Eddie finally snapped out of his momentary trance and grabbed Rory's shoulder roughly.

"Need something, pretty boy?" Rory asked bitterly. Eddie didn't release Rory's shoulder.

"I know what you did," Eddie murmured, "And I hope you know that I will make you regret ever laying a hand on Loren."

"What are you going to do?" Rory taunted. Eddie looked over at Melissa, who was still suffering from whip-lash.

"Mel, call the police," Eddie ordered. Melissa looked like she was going to throw up, but she nodded and fished through her purse to find her phone.

"The police, eh?" Rory mused. "They've been chasing me for years. What makes you think they'll get me now?" Melissa spoke into her phone in the background, her voice urgent and rushed.

"You killed my girlfriend and lay hands on a woman. Does it feel good, Rory?" Eddie's voice remained calm, even though Eddie felt like going ballistic and pummeling Rory like no ones business. Rory glared at Eddie.

"You can't prove anything."

"Maybe I can't, but Loren sure as hell can."

"She won't. She loves me."

"I doubt that." Rory struggled against Eddie's grip, but he wasn't about to let go. Not until the police came, that is.

"Eddie," Melissa said softly. "The police are on the way." Rory squirmed even more.

"I hope you rot in hell," Eddie told Rory, just as the police arrived. Rory looked at the cops and growled.

"Evening, officers," He muttered, still in Eddie's grasp. They studied him, then turned to Melissa.

"We'll take him in for questioning," The first one said, "And send a search warrent to the house." Rory flinched.

"Got a problem, sir?" The other police, a blonde woman, asked Rory, noticing him flinch.

"No," Rory said with a scowl. The woman nodded then turned to her partner.

"Gregg, get him in the car. I need to talk to these two." The man, Gregg, nodded and took Eddie's suggestion of cuffing Rory. As soon as the two men were out of sight, the woman started to speak.

"Hello," She said, "My name is Detective Mathews, but you can call me Leighanne." The woman didn't look very old; she couldn't have been much older than Loren or Melissa. "I'll be investigating your friends case." Eddie felt his face go pale.

"A _case?_ Don't people have to be dead to have those?" Melissa asked weakly, speaking Eddie's mind exactly. Leighanne grimaced.

"No, they don't. This case is just solely trying to get to the bottom of this... situation," Leighanne replied, pursing her lips. The case amazed her already, with what these people had put up with in such a short amount of time. And she didn't even know the entire story.

"Do you think Rory killed Hollyn?" Eddie asked numbly. He was finding it difficult to feel anything but pain. One single man had torn his world completely apart without even thinking about it, and he had just been no more than a few feet away from Eddie.

"I'm not allowed to say. But, I think that Rory will be in jail anyways." Eddie nodded, knowing what Leighanne was talking about. Leighanne checked her watched, and hastily adjusted her bag.

"I have to go. You two stay strong, okay?" Leighanne said, before waving and leaving the hospital.

And, just like that, everything was solved. Rory was in the police's hands, and hopefully out of Loren's life.

Almost everything was solved. There was still the fact that Loren may or may not make it. No one really knew at that point. The only thing that they could cling to was hope.

"Melissa," Eddie started slowly, "How do you know Rory?" A tear dripped down Melissa's cheek as she let out a long breath.

"He's my half-brother," Melissa revealed. For a moment, everything went silent in Eddie's world. But when he was back to reality, he felt like he'd just been hit in the head with a hammer.

"What?"

"My real mom, Beth... well, let's just say she sleezed around a lot. Last year, I went up to visit her. When I walked into the kitchen, Rory and Beth were arguing about something. Of course, I didn't know who he was at the time. All I knew was that the place reeked and my mom looked like a wreck. When I asked my mom what the hell was going on, she explained it all to me," Melissa took a deep breath and continued, "Rory was her son, probably one of many. He lived with his dad, who I think is named Larry. It was all so messed up. Beth didn't give a shit about him when he was a kid, which is why she left him with his dad in Vegas. But, as I'm sure Loren told you, Beth used to have a drug problem. When Rory came back to LA and saw Beth for the first time in years, he became her dealer. Again, very messed up. I never liked Rory, though. He always creeped me out and smelled like beer. And, of course, the reek in the room was drugs of some sort. I don't even want to go into detail. So, yeah. Rory's my extremely hated half-brother. I hate him even more now after I heard what he did to Loren." Melissa looked up at Eddie, who was in disbelief, with sad eyes. "Is... is that true?"

"Yes," Eddie mumbled, still shocked from what he just heard.

"Rory beat Loren and killed Hollyn?" Melissa asked. Eddie just nodded and rubbed his temples.

"This is so messed up," Melissa mumbled before leaning back in the chair.

"This is beyond messed up. This is a living hell."

**Sorry if this chapter sucks. I kept having mad coughing fits throughout it. I tried my best, though): Please review, fave, and follow, and remember that Teddy wuvs you!(:**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello(: enjoy! Please please PLEASE don't give up on me, guys. I know you'll all hate me for the next few chapters, but please don't give up on me till the end! PLEASE!**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own HH_**

**_Dedication: To KatieDean0343, for saying that my chapter didn't suck and being sweet overall(: Thank you!_**

**_Shout-out: To all my lovely readers! ALL OF YOU!_**

_Chapter Twenty- No Lyrics_

"Eddie," Someone said, waking Eddie from his not-so-peaceful sleep. He opened his eyes and waited for them to adjust to the florescent light. When they did, he noticed Melissa, with dried tears on her cheeks standing over him. In a flash, he remembered everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours and felt his heart sink. He sat up straighter in the chair he'd slept in.

"What? Is Loren okay?" He asked. Melissa let out a sob.

"They don't think she's going to make it," She whispered, "The nurses suggested we all say goodbye." Eddie's heart stopped. Hell, his world stopped. The only thing he could hear was his own heart beating out of his chest. He didn't understand how he could hear his heart even though he couldn't feel it at all, but he didn't care.

"No," Eddie muttered, "She... she's going to be okay. She's going to make it." Melissa let out another strangled sob.

"It's your turn to go say goodbye, Eddie. Do it before something happens and you regret not doing it," Melissa choked. Eddie stood up, not feeling his legs, and walked into Loren's hospital room. It felt like everything was in slow motion, and that his movements were being constrained by intense gravity. His shaking hand reached out and turned the door knob, not even feeling the cold metal. Loren lay there, pale, sick, heart monitor beating slowly.

"Hey, Loren," Eddie murmured, kneeling next to her bed. "I don't think you can hear me. But they're saying I'd better say goodbye." Eddie took one of Loren's cold hands in his own and kissed the back of it. "I know you're going to make it, though. You're the strongest, bravest girl I know.

"I'm sorry I let this happen. It's all my fault. If I would've just told the police and stopped being selfish. Loren, I hope you know that I'll never get over that guilt. You didn't deserve this, but I let it happen. It was the most selfish, disgusting thing I'll ever do.

"I want you to know something, though. Okay? That, if you make it, I'll make sure that you're safe. I'll make sure your safe if you don't. I'm going to take good care of you, okay, Loren? I promise. I won't let him- anyone -touch you again. It was my mistake for letting that happen in the first place.

"And now, I get to the part where I have to say goodbye. I've never been good at those. I hope you know, Loren, that I love you. I always have. I always will. I'll never stop loving you. Loving the way your hair looks when you haven't done anything to it, loving your laugh, your sense of humor, your laugh, the way you look when you sleep, your voice, everything. Loren, you're the most beautiful girl that'll ever come into my life. I know this is when I'm supposed to say goodbye. But Loren, please wake up. Please," Eddie whispered the last part, and looked at Loren. He didn't know what he expected. Maybe she would wake up, and say she loved him back just like in the movies. But, that's when Eddie noticed life wasn't a movie. Especially his. It wasn't going to end fair for anyone. It was going to loop-the-loop until he's dizzy and then throw him into a room full of knives. It would never, ever, stop spinning for him, and he knew it wouldn't have a happy ending. Because this wasn't a movie, and he finally figured out that he needed to stop treating it like it was. But, even so, he still expected Loren's eyes to open and look into his. Just this once, he wished his life could be a movie.

"Goodbye, Loren," Eddie whispered, before standing up and placing a kiss on her head. He stared at her, hoping and wishing she'd wake up and it'd all end in some happy miracle.

But, instead, Loren's heart monitor just kept beeping. It didn't stop, she didn't wake up; it just beeped and went on like it had before Eddie even came into the room. Because this wasn't a movie. This was all very real. It was all happening.

And, Eddie figured he'd prefer being in hell.

**Well, that was short and depressing. Please review! Please? For meeeeee?(: **


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello! Okay, so I'm going to tell you this now. At the end of the last chapter, Loren wasn't dead, but she might not live. Also, the next chapter will be the last chapter): But then, there's an epilogue after that, so, happy days, right? Somewhat..**

**Think I'm going to tell you now?**

**Nahh.**

**Well, besides that, not much to say, except for that I wrote the song that Eddie sings so please no take(: It sucks, though, so if you want to skip over it, feel free to do so.**

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the song I wrote, plot, and OC's, so please don't take(:_**

**_Dedication: To everyone(: I love you all so so so so SOOOO! much(:_**

_**Shout-out: To Maggie (guest), for being awesome and so incredibly sweet!**_

_Chapter 18- Those shades of blue on that face of yours hide that smile that beats in your chest_

*One month later*

The rumbling of Eddie's car beneath him didn't give him much comfort. His first interview in three years would have him on edge even if it did. Luckily, it was with Grace Dowy, a twenty-four year old who, as he heard, was incredibly sweet and down-to-earth.

Eddie was still out of sorts from the event one month ago.

He took a long, deep breath as he pulled up to the black building. It towered tall, and was built smack-dab in the middle of Los Angeles. Eddie always loved the look of the building, but has never actually been inside. The cream-coloured couches looked beautiful and somewhat uncomfortable, but they complemented nicely with the plants and the black atmosphere.

This was it. This was when Eddie was going to be re-introduced to the world.

* * *

"So, Eddie, only a week and a half after its release, your song, Broken Lullaby, had topped the charts. Anything to say?" The reporter Grace Dowy asked, holding the microphone out for Eddie to talk into. Eddie gave a deep breath. Going into it, he knew this interview would be hard. But he had to do it, for her. For Loren. Over the past thirty minutes, Eddie realised that that's why he was doing it, anyways.

"I hope the story touched people like it touched me," He replied, putting on a fake smile.

"It was a very touching story, indeed. This song is really an eye opener for everyone. Tell me, what was your inspiration?" Eddie grimaced and looked at his feet for a split-second, before looking back to Grace.

"A friend," He said simply. He really wasn't really willing to go into more detail. Grace looked at him with exaggerated sympathy, all for the camera. Over the years, Eddie had begun to forget what it was like to be in the limelight.

"I'm sorry. That must've been rough." Eddie simply nodded.

"Well, are you guys ready to hear Eddie's new song, live, on the first interview Eddie Duran has had in the past three years?" The live audience screamed at Grace's question. Eddie put on a forced smile and stood up, walking over to the microphone. He was nervous, but he tried not to let it show. This was his first time singing the song live, and he was a bit of a nervous wreck. But, the music started playing, so he started singing.

_"She's so beautiful,_

_I just want the whole world to know._

_She's so unhappy,_

_Sometimes she just wants to go,_

_The scars and bruises she has were undeserved,_

_A gift from the man that she claims loves her,_

_The pain in her eyes is so visible yet so well hidden,_

_By the smile she wears for the sake of him,_

_She doesn't see through his lies,_

_He doesn't see through hers,_

_But I know who she really is and why she cries so many tears  
_

_Long nights staying up and wondering why,_

_Your bruises have become so hard to hide,_

_But she doesn't sit and cry,_

_Instead she sings herself a broken lullaby.  
_

_She's so strong,_

_She just pretends nothing's wrong,_

_She's so fragile,_

_The smallest touch has the power to make her crumble,_

_She stays so upbeat,_

_Spending all of her time pretending to be happy,_

_Stuck with a man covers her perfect face in shades of blue,_

_Her kind heart makes me wonder who,_

_In this world could hurt a person like her.  
_

_Long nights staying up and wondering why,_

_Your bruises have become so hard to hide,_

_But she doesn't sit and cry,_

_Instead she sings herself a broken lullaby,  
_

_Wishing yourself out,_

_Wondering just how,_

_You got yourself into this mess,_

_Is this the ultimate test?_

_He says this is the last time,_

_Baby, it's all lies,_

_You are worth more than this.  
_

_Long nights staying up and wondering why,_

_Your bruises have become so hard to hide,_

_But she doesn't sit and cry,_

_Instead she sings herself a broken lullaby._" When Eddie finished the song, he looked behind him and realised Grace was crying.

"Such a beautiful song! Let's give a round of applause to Eddie Duran, folks!" Many cheers and 'whoops' came from the audience, as Grace dismissed Eddie and called out the next person for an interview. Almost immediately Eddie got into his car. He knew exactly where he was going and why. He decided that it would be worth the three-hour drive, and, although he hadn't been yet, he was still able to find his way to St. Miriam's Burial Ground. The name alone gave him chills up his spine. He pulled up into a little clearing nearby the big, metal gates. He unbuckled his seatbelt and wandered into the graveyard. The title was suiting, too. It was grave. Some wilted flowers lie on a few graves, others empty. He walked along the narrow path until he found the one he was looking for. He carefully knelt in the dirt, holding back tears. Someone he was very close with was buried here, and it stung to know that they were buried under layers of dirt. Eddie took a deep breath.

"Hey, Loren," He whispered.

**I bet you hate me, but remember...I never do things as planned. Please review and READ THE NEXT CHAPTER!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello, my minions! Just kidding :3 but seriously, you guys are so incredible. Nearly fifty reviews on one chapter. That's just... wow. I love you guys so much): I am going to miss this story! Well, here it is. I give you the last chapter of Too Beautiful. There will be an epilogue, but still, something about this being the last chapter makes me so sad. I have grown so much as a writer, and I hope you know that you guys are the cause, every single one of you. You're all so amazing. Feel free to PM me anytime for whatever, because, not only do I love PMing people and making new friends, I also would like to get to know all of you a little better(: Well, here you are. Please enjoy!**

**P.S.- Hah. Hah. Hah. You'll understand that later.**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Hollywood Heights_**

**_Dedication: This last chapter is dedicated to ellA-PISSED OFF, for your review that made me smile and laugh(: You are too sweet. Thank you so much :3_**

**_Shout-out: To my new Instagram friend(you know who you are, I just didn't want to say your name on the Internet in case you didn't want me to), for being so insanely beyond nice to me(:_**

_Chapter 21- No Lyrics_

Loren looked up from the stony, rigid gravestone. The words _Nora Tate_ were carved in neat lettering, as well as the years of her life and _beloved friend, mother, and wife_. Nora and Max hadn't been married, but Max already bought a ring before she died. Loren smiled weakly.

"How'd you find me?" She asked warily. Eddie smiled faintly.

"I had a feeling you'd be here," He replied. Loren nodded, understanding what he was saying. But she still didn't look at him.

"Are you mad at me?" She whispered. She already knew the answer- of course he was. After her attempted suicide and the fact that she was the cause of Hollyn's death, how could he not be?

"Mad at you? No, Loren, I could never be mad at you." Loren laughed slightly, a humorless laugh.

"After all of the trouble I've caused, how could you not be?" Loren asked rhetorically. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I see it all now, Eddie. I realise how completely stupid I was. I should've listened to you. But I had to be so... so naïve and fall for it." Loren looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears. "I'm so sorry, Eddie."

Loren didn't know what she expected. Maybe for him to start yelling at her, or to just get up and walk away. But, instead, Eddie placed a kiss on the top of her head and pulled her closer.

"Loren, I am not mad at you. I will never be mad at you for what happened. I'm mad at myself for being so selfish," He told her. Loren raised an eyebrow.

"Selfish? That's the last thing you were."

"No. If I had just called the police when I found out, or told someone sooner, this could've been resolved a lot sooner. But I was afraid you'd hate me, and that you would never speak to me again. And that is the most selfish thing I'll ever do." Loren shook her head.

"Eddie, I don't think you could've done anything. Everything you did helped things click in my mind," Loren paused, debating what to say next. Instead, she decided to stay silent.

"We could play the blame game for hours, Loren. But it wasn't your fault. Please don't believe that." Loren bit her lip.

"Therapy sucked," She said playfully, trying to lighten the heavy mood. Eddie chuckled slightly, a sound Loren hadn't heard in a very long time. "They gave me medication." Eddie stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry. I know how much you hate meds," He replied, his voice serious. Now it was Loren's turn to laugh.

"They're not bad, I just always forget to take them." The two were silent for a few minutes, staring at the cold headstone in front of them. The wind whistled by them, sending a chill down Loren's spine.

"You know," Eddie said, finally breaking the silence, "I meant what I said in the hospital." Loren looked up at him, confused.

"I don't remember..." She replied, her voice trailing off. Eddie smiled.

"I know. But I still meant it."

"What did you mean?" Eddie debated saying what he was about to, but he figured that after what he'd just given away there was no turning back.

"That I love you." Not even the cars could be heard. Everything went dead silent, even the wind stopped. Loren dropped her gaze to the ground.

"Eddie," She whispered, her voice cracking, "You... you just lost Hollyn."

"I know. And it still hurts. But, Loren, I've loved you for the past five years, and those kind of feelings don't go away. Forgotten, maybe; but never gone." Loren felt a lump in her throat the size of a rock.

"I just... I can't right now. I know you'd never hurt me, but... sometimes, I still see him. When someone sneaks up behind me, I do; when someone yells my name at random, it's in his voice. I trust you, Eddie, but I don't trust me." Eddie nodded, understanding where she was coming from but wishing he didn't.

"I understand," He told her. She felt her heart race out of her chest, but she didn't know why.

"I love you, too," She whispered. She closed her eyes shut. "I really, really do. But look at what happens whenever I fall in love. Car crashes, beatings, suicide attempt... love is a disaster for me, Eddie. And I don't want to drag you into that too."

"But should that stop you from being happy? Loren, I love you. You love me. Maybe, just maybe, we're supposed to be together. Everything that happened wouldn't have if we hadn't broken up." Eddie's voice had dropped lower now. Loren took a deep breath. She was trying to think of something she could say to that, something that would make her give up on love.

But she couldn't. Because she was in love with Eddie.

Loren felt something wet fall onto her head, and then her forehead. Pretty soon, Loren and Eddie were sitting in a torrential downpour, but neither of them moved. Loren was drenched in a matter of minutes, as was Eddie, but yet they stayed put.

"Loren," Eddie said firmly, pulling Loren closer, "I love you." Loren smiled; a small smile, yet a real one.

"I love you, too," She whispered. Eddie pulled his lips to Loren's, and for a moment, everything felt right.

"You do realise we're kissing in the rain," Loren told him once they broke apart.

"Yeah?"

"And that is incredibly cliché?" Eddie smiled.

"Loren, there is nothing cliché about us," He said, before meeting her lips once again.

And, there, kissing in the rain at a cemetary, after all that they've been through, Loren and Eddie realised that they were meant to be.

**Hah. Hah. Hah. I trolled you guys! :P Annnnnnd... done. Wow. Twenty-one chapters later, Too Beautiful is completed. Thank you all so much for this experience. I love you all so much, and I am truly sad it is over. I still have the epilogue, but it's not the same. Because I loved this story so much, I have decided that I shall write a sequel. I don't know when, but I can promise you that I will write it and it will eventually be up and at 'em. Well, please review and favourite, but at this point following would be kind of pointless xD They still are appreciated, though 3: Look! Even my mustache is sad...):**


	23. Epilogue

**Sorry for the wait!**

**_Disclaimer: Me no own HH_**

**_Dedication: To julia-neHH and allywashere, for just being creeptastical(:_**

**_Shout-Out: To LoveForeverxo. Thank you for sticking with me all this time, it means the world(:_**

_Epilogue_

Loren tried to steady her breathing, taking long, deep breaths. She tucked her legs up to her chest, her breathing becoming less calm and more rapid as the seconds went by. The cold, dry bathroom floor stung her through her pants, leaving goosebumps.

Then the door opened.

Loren's breathing went from rapid to quiet. She tugged her legs tighter to her chest, as she heard loud footsteps approaching the bathroom door. They got closer and closer until it all went silent.

The sudden, loud bang on the door made a scream escape Loren's mouth, which she immediately covered to stifle another. Several more loud bangs hit the white door, until there was a loud crack and it fell to the floor.

Loren was no loner breathing.

An all-too-familiar face came into view, making Loren shiver. She opened her mouth to try to scream, but no noise came out. She covered her face with her arms. She could hear her heartbeat racing.

"Loren," Rory cooed, his voice like honey. But Loren couldn't look up. She was terrified, more than she'd ever been in her life. Her whole body was shaking. "Loren, look at me."

"Loren," A different voice said. It made Loren's heart stop all together. Slowly, she looked up, only to gasp at the sight in front of her.

Hollyn.

Hollyn smiled warmly down at Loren, unknowing that Rory stood behind her, a knife held firmly in his hand. Loren tried to call out to Hollyn, to warn her to run, but no noise came out when she tried to speak. Confusion crossed Hollyn's face.

"Loren?" She asked, sounding concerned. "Is something wrong?" Loren tried to reach up and point to Rory, who was still standing behind her, but before she could even get her muscles to move, Rory plunged the knife into Hollyn's stomach.

Hollyn fell to the ground almost immediately, the knife falling with her. Rory smiled sadistically, approaching Loren, who had a hand covering her mouth and tears trailing down her face.

"I know you won't tell," Rory whispered, "Because you love me. Right, Loren?" Loren didn't say anything. She couldn't. She just watched Rory kill Hollyn.

"I said, right, Loren?" Rory urged, his voice growing more angry. Loren felt horrified, but still couldn't say anything if she wanted to. Rory reached out and smacked Loren across the face, hard.

"Answer me!" He shouted. Loren opened her mouth to speak, but still nothing came out.

"Fine, bitch," He murmured, "Then you're gonna die, too." Rory lunged at Loren.

And then everything went black.

* * *

Loren shot up from her nightmare, sitting straight up and screaming loudly. Eddie jolted awake at the sound, before realising that it was one of Loren's nightmares. Loren's screams turned to sobs as she fell back on to the bed.

"Another nightmare?" Eddie asked gently. Loren nodded. Nightmares weren't an unusual thing for her. Granted, it wasn't a daily thing, so it still scared Eddie to death when she woke up screaming, but it wasn't so irregular that he didn't know what to do. He gently wrapped the still-crying Loren into his arms. There were a few things that could calm Loren down after a nightmare like this, which Eddie already had down. He rubbed her back and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Shh, it's okay," he murmured in her ear. She continued to cry into his chest, not wanting to look up.

"He was-he was-" Loren tried to explain, but couldn't get the words out of her mouth. Eddie, however, seemed to understand. He knew what her nightmares were about.

Last month, Loren had been diagnosed with Post Tramautic Stress Disorder.

"Loren, look at me," he whispered in her ear. When she did, he placed a kiss on her forehead before brushing some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Loren's sobs turned to slight whimpers as he wiped the tears off her face.

"I'm never going to let him hurt you. Or anyone for that matter, okay?" Loren didn't say anything, just nodded and buried her face in his chest once more. Eddie continuously murmured comforting things in her ear, like "it's okay" and "I got you", before Loren finally drifted back to sleep.

* * *

"C'mon," The prison guard said forcefully, grabbing Rory firmly by the arm and leading him down the dark hallway. Rory did as told, although he didn't want to. He figured if he played innocent and misguided, then his plan would go along better.

"In," The guard commanded, pointing to a cell. Rory walked into the gloomy room, hanging his head as if to look guilty. The guard shut the gate behind him, slamming it shut and making a loud clank noise.

"Ah, so you're the new roomie. What are you in for?" A voice asked, his face hidden in the darkness of the room. Rory smiled slightly.

"Killed someone, and some other stuff. You?" Rory replied casually. The man laughed.

"I did the same. What other stuff are you talking about?" Rory grinned again, in a sick, sadistic way.

"Just other things." The man cleared his throat.

"I never did get your name," He said. Rory's smile faltered a bit.

"It's Rory," He muttered. The man shifted on the other side of the room, but didn't approach Rory.

"Well, Rory, welcome to prison," He said, "Oh, and my name is Tyler Roarke."

**Hot. Damn. I bet you didn't see that ending coming! Ba-bam! Haha. But ain't that just begging for a sequel? ;)**

**And, there is the last ever post on this story. I hoped you liked it. Thank you to all of you who stuck with me from beginning to end, even after you thought I killed Loren. This has been an experience for me as a writer that I don't think I can forget. I'm hoping you'll enjoy the sequel, which shall be posted sometime soon and it will be called 'Still Standing'. I'm so grateful for all of you and I really hope you enjoyed the story. I'll miss you guys): Oh, and before I forget, I have started revising this story and putting it on Tumblr, so, if you follow me, the edited version is up on there and'll be up here sometime soon. For the last time on Too Beautiful, peace out, home dawgs(:**

**Love,**

**Teddy xoxox**


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